US President Donald Trump has defended his decision to eliminate the US Agency for International Development (USAID), calling it a "fraudulent" organization controlled by the "radical left." Trump, in a post on his social media platform TruthSocial, claimed that the "radical left" is "going crazy" over the USAID closure and that there is nothing they can do to stop it. He attributed the agency's demise to "the way the money has been spent, much of it fraudulently, is totally inexplicable."
Trump's comments come amidst a growing backlash against his decision to dismantle USAID, which was established in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy to manage US international humanitarian aid. The agency has a multi-billion dollar budget that funds projects around the world to alleviate poverty, disease, and respond to famines and natural disasters.
However, USAID has been under scrutiny from the Trump administration since the president's return to the White House. Trump views the agency as an example of wasteful spending and fraudulent diversion of assets.
Elon Musk, a close advisor to Trump and head of the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has labeled USAID a "criminal organization" and declared that "it's time for it to die." Trump echoed Musk's sentiments, stating that "the corruption" of USAID is at "unprecedented levels" and that it must be shut down.