Rubio tapped to lead USAID for time being
Former USAID official warns Elon Musk's push to shut down the agency is 'dangerous'
Former USAID head of global health Atul Gawande joins 'America's Newsroom' to discuss Elon Musk's claim that President Donald Trump fully supports shutting down the agency.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that he is now the acting director of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
Rubio told this to reporters while taking questions from the press in El Salvador.
"USAID is not functioning. It has to be aligned with US policy. It needs to be aligned with the national interest of the US," he said. "They're not a global charity these are taxpayer dollars. People are asking simple questions. What are they doing with the money? We are spending taxpayers money. We owe the taxpayers assurances that it furthers our national interest."
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives to watch as people board a repatriation flight bound for Colombia at Albrook Airport in Panama City on February 3, 2025. Rubio is in Panama on a two-day official visit. (MARK SCHIEFELBEIN/Pool AP/AFP via Getty Images)
"I am the acting director," he confirmed when asked if he is now in charge. "Our goal was to allow our foreign aid with the national interest. It has been 20 or 30 years. They have tried to reform it. That will not continue."
USAID staffers were instructed earlier Monday to stay out of the agency’s Washington headquarters after Elon Musk announced President Donald Trump had agreed with him to shut the agency. Thousands of USAID employees already had been laid off and programs shut down.
This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.
Danielle Wallace is a breaking news and politics reporter at Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to
