Secretary of State Marco Rubio reassured embassy officials in Guatemala this week that the U.S. government does not intend to uproot families of USAID staff stationed abroad, despite the agency issuing a 30-day mandate for their return to the U.S. Rubio, who is serving as the acting director of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), acknowledged the challenges and difficulties of the situation, particularly in relation to the agency’s foreign aid programs. He noted, “I know it’s hard to ask for patience. I know it’s hard to ask for trust,” according to a partial transcript of his meeting with embassy staff obtained by ABC News.
Rubio also commented on the administration’s approach to cutting USAID’s operations, admitting that the process could have been handled better but was necessary due to constraints the government faced. This move is part of broader efforts to reduce federal government spending and eliminate what some, like Elon Musk, head of the Department of Government Efficiency, view as wasteful spending. Musk has previously called for shutting down USAID, with backing from President Donald Trump.
Earlier this week, the Trump administration ordered all direct-hire employees at USAID to go on administrative leave, beginning on Friday, and issued a directive for all foreign-based USAID employees to return to the U.S. within 30 days. This decision has been met with resistance from some USAID staff members who argue that the sudden 30-day deadline will make it difficult for many posts to comply and may be part of a broader strategy to avoid lawsuits from employees.
In his meeting with embassy officials, Rubio reassured staff that the U.S. is not abandoning foreign aid. He emphasized that while foreign aid remains politically unpopular, it is crucial for U.S. foreign policy. Rubio acknowledged the difficulty of defending such programs but expressed understanding of the importance of foreign aid, especially for those responsible for its implementation.
This statement comes amid an ongoing review of foreign aid programs, with an urgent push for decisions to be made about which programs to retain.
