Secretary of State Marco Rubio is accusing USAID of ‘rank insubordination,’ adding ‘we had no choice but to bring this thing under control.’ The top U.S. diplomat made the comments in an exclusive interview with Fox News in El Salvador, just after announcing he would take over as acting director of the humanitarian agency.
Rubio blasted USAID for being ‘completely unresponsive’ telling Fox ‘they don’t consider that they work for the U.S., they just think they’re a global entity and that their master is the globe and not the United States, and that’s not what the statute says, and that’s not sustainable.’
Rubio refused to say whether the agency ‘needs to die,’ as DOGE chief Elon Musk is suggesting, instead stressing the goal was always to reform it.
‘There are things that we do through USAID that we should continue to do, that make sense, and we’ll have to decide, is that better through the State Department or is that better through something, you know, a reformed USAID? That’s the process we’re working through.’
Despite plans for restructuring, Rubio said the United States would remain the ‘most generous nation on Earth,’ but added, in a way that makes sense, that’s in our national interests.
Asked if changes to USAID would open the door for Communist China to increase its influence around the world, Rubio said ‘No, I mean, first of all, they don’t do that now. If they did, they’d be out there competing with us in these places. But my point is this, even if they did that, why would we fund things that are against our national interests or don’t further our national interests, whether China is there or not? If China wants to waste our money on something that’s against their China, their national interests, go ahead and do it. We’re not going to do it.’
Monday evening, the group and labor union that represents U.S. foreign service workers, released a statement opposing the Trump administration’s actions regarding USAID. ‘The American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) strongly objects to the administration’s decision to dismantle the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). This will undermine U.S. national security, may subvert Congressional authority, and demonstrates a lack of respect for the dedication of the development professionals who serve America’s interests abroad.’
The wide-ranging interview came after Rubio’s visit to Panama and amidst repeated warnings from President Trump that the United State would ‘take back’ the Panama Canal over concerns the Chinese have de facto operational control over it.
Following his visit with the Panamanian President, Jose Raul Mulino announced the central American nation would leave China’s Belt and Road initiative. Rubio welcomes the move but tells Fox that’s not enough and that he hopes to see ‘additional steps in the days to come.’
President Trump announced 30-day pauses on tariffs on Mexico and Canada. Rubio acknowledge that ‘changes our economic relationship with our closest neighbors,’ adding the State Department is not involved in any negotiations to make Canada the 51st state.
Despite Venezuela’s recent move to release U.S. hostages and accept migrants living illegally in the US, Secretary Rubio said there are still no plans to recognize the Maduro regime as legitimate. Rubio added ‘Maduro knows the US has many options to inflict serious damage on his regime.’
Rubio, who is of Cuban descent, says he has ‘no intention’ of going to Havana as America’s top diplomat ‘other than to discuss when they’re going to leave.’ Rubio continues his western hemisphere trip Tuesday with stops in Costa Rica and Guatemala.