Secretary of State Marco Rubio has halted all U.S. international aid financed by or through the State Department and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to allow the Trump administration to assess whether the money is “America First.”
On Sunday, the State Department issued a statement in response to President Donald Trump’s executive order to reassess and realign foreign funding from the US.
“Consistent with President Trump’s Executive Order on Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid, Secretary [Marco] Rubio has paused all U.S. foreign assistance funded by or through the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) for review,” a statement stated. “Under the America First agenda, he has launched a review of all foreign aid programs to ensure that they are efficient and compatible with US foreign policy. President Trump declared unequivocally that the United States will no longer mindlessly provide money with no return for the American people.
The statement went on to claim that reviewing and aligning international assistance on behalf of taxpayers is a “moral imperative,” and that Rubio is glad to defend America’s investment “with a deliberate and judicious review” of how the money is spent on foreign aid.
“The implementation of this Executive Order and the Secretary’s direction furthers that mission,” according to the statement. “As Secretary of State Marco Rubio has stated, ‘Every dollar we spend, program we fund, and policy we pursue must be justified by answering three simple questions: Does it make America safer?'” Does it make America stronger? “Does it make America more prosperous?”
The statement comes after the Trump administration instructed USAID officials to halt giving foreign help throughout the world or risk “disciplinary action” for failing to comply.
According to Reuters, the Trump administration delivered a strongly worded message to more than 10,000 USAID staff members on Saturday, offering a “stop-work” command from Friday that imposed a global block on US foreign aid.
The wire agency studied the letter and stated that it spelled out expectations for the workforce on how to fulfill Trump’s aims of putting “America First.”
“We have a responsibility to support the President in achieving his vision,” said Ken Jackson, assistant to the administrator for management and resources, in an internal letter headed “Message and Expectation to the Workforce.”
“The President has given us a tremendous opportunity to transform the way we approach foreign assistance for decades to come,” according to the memo. Reuters said that it has confirmed the memo’s veracity with multiple sources.
Just hours after taking office, Trump ordered a 90-day suspension in foreign aid to determine whether the financing aligned with his foreign policy aims.
On Friday, the State Department suspended international aid.
The United States is the world’s greatest supplier of help. During fiscal year 2023, the United States provided $72 billion in aid. It also contributed 42% of all humanitarian aid monitored by the United Nations in 2024.
