Trump administration eyes merging USAID with State Dept

US President Donald Trump is reportedly considering merging the US Agency for International Development (USAID) with the State Department as part of a broader push to improve efficiency and align the agency’s spending with his administration’s priorities.

US President Donald Trump has appointed Secretary of State Mark Rubio as acting director of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and launched a review of foreign aid to the structure. The US State Department said on February 3.

"USAID has long departed from its original mission of promoting American interests abroad, and it is now clear that much of the structure's funding is not aligned with the core national interests of the state," the statement said.

Thus, to gain oversight and better understand the agency's operations, Trump appointed Marco Rubio as acting director.