US Secretary Marco Rubio Refutes Claims Foreign Aid Cuts Caused Deaths

Secretary of State Marco Rubio strongly defended the Trump administration's restructuring of USAID and foreign aid policies during a tense interview with ABC's George Stephanopoulos. Rubio rejected claims that cuts to USAID led to deaths, emphasizing that the agency was dysfunctional and corrupt, funneling money to large NGOs rather than directly to recipients. He highlighted that the U.S. continues to provide more foreign aid than any other country but is now focusing on more effective, integrated foreign policy aid strategies with direct compacts and empowered embassies. Rubio also pointed out that aid delivery failures were often due to ongoing conflicts and criminal interference in recipient countries, not solely U.S. funding decisions. He criticized the narrative blaming the U.S. exclusively by noting that other wealthy nations like China, England, and Canada contribute far less aid, yet receive less scrutiny. Overall, Rubio emphasized a shift towards accountability and effectiveness in foreign aid distribution rather than maintaining the previous flawed system.