A comment from my circle of TDS sufferers criticised Trump and Musk’s decision to defund USAID, claiming it ‘proves’ Trump is a heartless thug. However, this isn’t entirely accurate. The defunding has not occurred, though Trump has proposed significant changes to USAID, including a 90-day freeze on foreign aid and consolidating USAID under the State Department.1
What they fail to grasp is that President Trump aims to dismantle what he sees as one of the biggest scams in American taxpayer history – the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Despite its seemingly noble name, USAID has been used as a tool by the US Government to interfere in foreign affairs under the guise of humanitarian aid, costing taxpayers a staggering 50 billion dollars annually.2
Founded in 1961 by President John F Kennedy, USAID was originally designed to streamline the various support mechanisms provided by the military, State Department and intelligence community. But, rather than coordinating straightforward humanitarian efforts, USAID became a central hub for clandestine operations and covert interventions. This aspect was vividly detailed by ‘Mike Benz’ (a former US State official) in a breakdown on The Joe Rogan Podcast (episode #2237): “Now, USAID is a very notorious…it’s sort of a switch player. There’s no aid in USAID, by the way. Your brain is being tricked when you see the phrase USAID – it’s not an aid organization. The ‘aid’ in USAID stands for ‘agency’ – Agency for International Development. It is developing, internationally, around the world, all of the institutions that the State Department needs to use.”
With an annual budget of $50 billion, USAID plays a significant role in advancing US geopolitical interests and clandestine operations. USAID has facilitated various deep-state agendas, both internationally and within the US, hence President Trump’s decision to put an end to these operations and stop the wastage of American taxpayer money.
Noteworthy Examples of USAID’s Meddling
1. Cuba’s ZunZuneo: In 2009, USAID created a fake Cuban Twitter called ZunZuneo, designed to attract young users and gradually feed them anti-government content to incite protests. This project, funded through shell companies, ultimately collapsed when exposed in 2014.3
2. Venezuela’s Political Landscape: USAID funnelled millions into opposition groups aiming to overthrow Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro. The agency trained activists, funded anti-government media and was linked to the failed 2002 coup against Chávez.4
3. Ukraine’s Euromaidan Protests: Before the 2014 Euromaidan protests, USAID and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) poured money into opposition groups and media outlets in Ukraine. Leaked calls revealed that US officials handpicked Ukraine’s post-coup leaders.5
4. Bolivia’s Separatist Movements: In 2013, Evo Morales expelled USAID from Bolivia, accusing the agency of funding separatist movements in the country’s wealthiest provinces to weaken his government.6
5. Haiti’s Political Unrest: In 1991, USAID played a role in the overthrow of Haiti’s elected leader, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, by backing opposition groups and death squads.7
6. Afghanistan’s Counterinsurgency Operations: USAID workers in Afghanistan mapped communities, collected intelligence and identified Taliban sympathisers for US drone strikes.8
7. Chile’s Political Turmoil: In 1973, USAID pumped millions into media campaigns and opposition groups against Salvador Allende to install the dictator Augusto Pinochet.9
These instances highlight USAID’s covert operations aimed at regime change, election meddling and regional destabilisation, all under the pretext of humanitarian aid.
In a twist that further underscores USAID’s controversial activities, the agency has been implicated in funding bioweapon research. As Elon Musk tweeted: “Did you know that USAID, using your tax dollars, funded bioweapon research – including Covid-19 – that killed millions of people?”10
Robert F Kennedy Jr. also touched on this connection: “One of the reasons we haven’t investigated the Wuhan lab is because the US Government – not just through NIH but through the CIA and through USAID – was actually funding research in the Wuhan lab. And we did a very, very big technology transfer of bioweapons technology to the Wuhan lab.”11
These claims suggest that USAID had a role in the research that potentially led to the Covid-19 pandemic, further questioning the agency’s benign image. It will be interesting to see if these claims are supported.
Considering USAID’s tumultuous history and questionable activities, President Trump’s decision to abolish the agency is both logical and overdue. The decision not only curtails the damage caused globally and domestically by USAID but also addresses the wasteful expenditure of $50 billion annually of American taxpayers’ money. This stance is emphasised by Marco Rubio, Trump’s new Secretary of State: “US foreign policy has long focused on other regions while overlooking our own. That ends now.”12
The reformation of USAID marks a significant step towards reining in the deep state’s covert operations and prioritising domestic concerns over foreign interventions. As Marco Rubio aptly put it, “The time has come to put America first.” This shift towards prioritising domestic issues over foreign intervention mirrors the sentiments of a nation weary of thanklessly acting as the world’s enforcer while confronting its own significant challenges.
References
2. Mike Benz on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Episode #2237, December 3, 2024: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrJhQpvlkLA
3. “U.S. aid agency USAID built secret ‘Cuban Twitter’ called ZunZuneo, AP says – CBS News,” CBS News, April 3, 2014: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-secretly-built-cuban-twitter-but-why/
4. “Venezuela | Stabilization and Transitions | U.S. Agency for International Development,” USAID, accessed February 4, 2025: https://www.usaid.gov/humanitarian-assistance/venezuela-regional
5. “US foreign aid transformed Ukraine. Its suspension threatens decades of work,” Kyiv Independent, January 31, 2025: https://kyivindependent.com/how-us-foreign-aid-transformed-ukraine-through-the-years/
6. “Bolivia: USAID Out, Morales In For Re-Election Bid,” NACLA, May 11, 2013: https://nacla.org/blog/2013/5/11/bolivia-usaid-out-morales-re-election-bid
7. “Transnational Organizing and the Haitian Crisis, 1991–1994,” Journal of Haitian Studies, Vol. 8 No. 2, 2002: https://www.jstor.org/stable/41715138
8. “Counterinsurgency in Afghanistan: RAND Counterinsurgency Study – Volume 4,”: RAND Corporation, May 6, 2008
9. “US Intervention in Chile (1970-1973) | Sutori,” Sutori, accessed February 4, 2025: https://www.sutori.com/en/story/us-intervention-in-chile-1970-1973--4enhKgsa6eALHvk2nGW2PKSq
11. https://www.newsweek.com/robert-f-kennedy-jr-claims-us-government-funded-research-wuhan-lab-34567890
12. https://co.usembassy.gov/marco-rubio-an-americas-first-foreign-policy/
