Trump Administration to Slash USAID, Despite First Lady and Daughter's Past Support

President Donald Trump's administration is planning to significantly reduce the size and scope of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). This move stands in stark contrast to the agency's promotion by both Melania and Ivanka Trump during the president's first term.

In 2018, Melania Trump embarked on a solo trip to four African countries, where she praised USAID's work in preserving historical sites and providing education assistance. A year later, Ivanka Trump launched the "Women's Global Development and Prosperity" initiative, which sought to empower 50 million women in the developing world by 2025. She directed USAID to allocate $50 million to the initiative.

However, the Trump administration has now shifted its priorities. A White House memo states that USAID "has been unaccountable to taxpayers as it funnels massive sums of money to the ridiculous — and, in many cases, malicious — pet projects of entrenched bureaucrats, with next-to-no oversight." The administration plans to retain just over 600 of the agency's 10,000 employees, down from the 300 staff it had previously planned to keep on.

The White House spokesperson blamed the former president for the waste, fraud, and abuse at USAID, stating that "President Trump was given a mandate to cut spending that does not effectively use taxpayer dollars or align with the America First agenda, and he is delivering.