It Is Happening Every Day, Every Where
Pete Marocco oversaw the cutting of thousands of contracts at U.S.A.I.D. and the firing of most of its roughly 10,000 workers. Aid agency employees have accused him of mismanagement.
Pete Hegseth’s predecessor as defense secretary, Lloyd J. Austin III, started the roughly 50-nation group to support Kyiv after Russia invaded in 2022, but he has given up leadership.
The departure may complicate the already delicate relationship between Washington and Kyiv, which has been stressed by President Trump’s efforts to end the war.
President Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are using similar playbooks as they face turmoil.
The move comes despite Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying the U.S. would still do some humanitarian work while shrinking foreign aid. Democratic lawmakers have denounced the cuts.
Democratic senators said in a letter that the administration was failing its first test of humanitarian aid as China and Russia send teams to help.
The United States was a key supplier of contraceptives in many developing countries. The Trump administration has ended that support.
President Trump has turned a central precept of American diplomacy on its head, embracing fellow leaders who abandon democratic principles.
The staff of U.S.A.I.D. will be reduced to some 15 legally required positions. The agency employed about 10,000 people before the Trump administration entered office.
Russell T. Vought, leader of the Office of Management and Budget, aims to marry extreme austerity with his Christian values.