In a heated press briefing, the spokesman for the White House Karoline Leavitt has accused the United States Agency for international development (USAID) of abuse of public funds, defining the agency’s expenses as “fraud, waste and abuse.” Leavitt’s statements come after the revelations that Usaid has intended to be large sums to initiatives of diversity, equity and inclusion (gods) abroad, including LGBTQ themed projects.
Leavitt stressed several projects financed by the USAID which he called frivolous and disconnected from the interests of American taxpayers:
1.5 million dollars to promote the gods in the Serbian workplace
$70,000 for a DEI theme music in Ireland
47,000 dollars for a transgender work in Colombia
$ 32,000 for a transgender comic in Peru
“I don’t know about you, but as an American taxpayer, I don’t want my money to go to finance this trash,” said Leavitt, underlining the administration’s commitment to eliminate unnecessary federal expenditure.
In the meantime, Elon Musk, a technological entrepreneur, was commissioned by President Trump to lead the Department for Government’s efficiency (Doge), a working group aimed at identifying and reducing unnecessary government expenditure. Musk harshly criticized Usaid, calling it “a criminal organization” and supporting its dissolution.
According to some items, the ongoing inspection by the doge led some USAID employees to remove rainbow flags and certain literature from their offices in anticipation of inspections, highlighting tensions within the agency.
The controversy triggered a wider debate on the role of federal agencies in financing the international initiatives of Dei. While the administration defends tax liability and alignment with the priorities of taxpayers, critics see these actions as an invasion that undermines the support for the marginalized communities globally.
With the administration that is preparing to review the financing of the USAID and to evaluate the possibility of renovating its operations, the debate on the use of public funds for the international programs of Dei remains a controversial issue in the political arena.
