Following the Trump administration’s crackdown, the US Agency for International Development ( USAID ) is under intense scrutiny.
A 90-day professional order was signed by US President Trump, who has long criticized USAID. ” USAID is being run by extreme loons”, he said, vowing to finish what he calls “waste, scams, and misuse”.
However, secretary of state Marco Rubio had called USAID a “global generosity” that operates with much respect for US national interests. As investigations drag on, some senior officials have been taken off their leave, and the company’s Washington headquarters has temporarily closed.
Recently, home foreign affairs committee president Brian Mast and the White House exposed a series of, what they referred to as “wasteful” expenses under the Biden administration.
The misuse of tax money by USAID has raised serious questions about its responsibilities, from funding move shows in Colombia to providing money vouchers for illegal immigrants.
Here are some of the investing choices, that the council termed because “outrageous”:
1. $ 15 million for contraception for the Taliban
Yes, you read that right. In the movie, Representative Mast claimed that USAID allocated$ 15 million worth of contraception to the Taliban, an extremist group known for suppressing children’s right. He mocked this costs, stating,” I don’t believe anybody’s going to die because we don’t give the Taliban any more contraceptives”.
2. $ 446, 000 to promote atheism in Nepal
Almost half a million dollars were distributed by USAID through the state department to support humanism in Nepal.
3. $ 47, 000 for a trans opera in Colombia
Many people were left wondering whether the US government’s decision to finance a transgender-themed musical in Colombia had any bearing on its significance.
4. $ 20, 600 for drag shows in Ecuador
Another eyebrow-raising costs, USAID paid for drag shows in Ecuador as part of an LGBTQ social program. According to the foreign affairs committee, Fundación Diálogo Diverso, an LGBTQ organization in Ecuador, received nearly$ 75, 000 over a period of three years, which includes a$ 25, 000 grant from last year. The firm used those funds to hold a two-day move workshop and produce a video that captured the experience.
5. $ 350 million for a pier in Gaza
This substantial total was used to construct a wharf in Gaza, which is said to help humanitarian aid. But, according to The National Desk, detractors claim that it could be largely used to support terrorist organizations like Hamas.
6. $ 1 million to improve French-speaking Gay parties in Africa
Through the State Department, USAID funded LGBTQ activism in West and Central Africa with a$ 1 million grant, despite many African nations rejecting Western-imposed social policies.
7. $ 3 million for just “being LGBTQ” in the Caribbean
Despite having no clear instructions on how the money were distributed or why the program was necessary, USAID apparently spent$ 3 million to help LGBTQ people in the Caribbean.
8. $ 55, 000 for a culture change conference in Argentina—only for women and LGBTQ editors
A USAID-funded weather workshop in Argentina had a rigid necessity: participants had to be feminine or LGBTQ journalists, raising concerns about diversity and fairness.
9. $ 2 million for sex changes and LGBTQ activism in Guatemala
The White House made it known that USAID had provided$ 2 million to help LGBTQ engagement and gender reassignment surgeries in Guatemala, a deeply conservative nation.
10. $ 425, 000 to help Indonesian coffee companies become more “gender-friendly”
In Indonesian coffee shops, US taxpayer money was used to advertise gender equality, which caused outrage over how such investing matched American interests.
11 )$ 32, 000 for a trans comic book in Peru
USAID spent$ 32, 000 to produce an LGBTQ-focused comic book in Peru. Although it is good intended to promote inclusivity, critics claim that funding a specific North American cultural project is a waste of taxpayer money.
14 ) Millions to EcoHealth Alliance—tied to the Wuhan Lab
Millions of dollars have been given to EcoHealth Alliance by USAID, a nonprofit that is involved in questionable coronavirus studies at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
15 ) Hundreds of thousands of meals were distributed to al-Qaeda soldiers in Syria.
The White House claimed that USAID provided food assistance to Syrian soldiers who allegedly carried out al-Qaeda-related operations. This, according to reviewers, demonstrates the company’s lack of control over where US money really go.
16 ) Hundreds of millions for Afghan Poppy production
USAID has reportedly spent hundreds of millions of dollars on irrigation canals, farming tools, and fertilizer in Afghanistan—resources that instantly benefited the Taliban’s cocaine trade. The money helped preserve one of the world’s largest opium systems, undermining US counter-narcotics work.
17 )$ 14 million in cash vouchers for migrants at the Southern border
While the US struggles with its own economy, USAID gave 14 million dollars tickets to migrants at the southern boundary. According to critics, this scheme encourages illegal immigration and makes financial use of taxpayer funds that could be used for private purposes.
