Trump Officials Destroy $9.7M Contraceptives Stored Belgium

The Trump administration ordered the destruction of nearly $10 million worth of contraceptives, including birth control pills, intrauterine devices, and hormonal implants, that were stored in a Belgium warehouse after the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) was largely dismantled earlier in 2025. Despite these contraceptives being intended for people in low-income countries and having expiration dates up to 2031, the administration falsely claimed that the products induced abortion, although USAID is legally prohibited from procuring abortifacients and inventory lists confirmed none of the products were abortifacients. Several international organizations, including the Gates Foundation and the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, had offered to purchase or accept donations of the contraceptives at no cost to the government, potentially recouping taxpayer funds, but the administration proceeded with destruction at an estimated cost of $167,000. The decision has been widely criticized as an act of cruelty that will cost lives and undermine global health efforts by removing essential family planning tools. USAID is currently being wound down under the supervision of White House budget director Russell Vought, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio overseeing its closure. The Trump administration justified the move by emphasizing its commitment to protecting unborn children worldwide and its refusal to supply what it called "abortifacient birth control under the guise of foreign aid," a claim contradicted by the facts and inventory documentation.