Inside USAID’s controversial spending: Where your tax dollars went

What’s happening?: The Trump administration has uncovered nearly $200 million in questionable USAID spending, from terrorist-linked food programs to transgender operas abroad. Here’s where the money went:

The biggest red flags:

$10 million: Meals that went to al Qaeda-linked groups
$75 million: Diversity and inclusion programs worldwide
Part of $150 billion climate strategy

Where the DEI money went:

Vietnam: $16.8 million for “equitable outcomes”
Education: $8.3 million for “equity and inclusion”
Sri Lanka: $7.9 million to combat “binary-gender language”
South Africa: $6.3 million for men’s sexual health study
Global LGBTQ initiatives: $6 million across “priority countries”
Uganda: $5.5 million for LGBTQ causes
Serbia: $1.5 million for workplace inclusion

Media projects funded:

Iraq: $20 million for local Sesame Street version
News Access: $8 million for Politico Pro subscriptions
Libya: $2.1 million to BBC for “media ecosystem”
Cuba: $1.5 million for media rebuilding
Colombia: $47,000 for transgender opera
Peru: $2 million for transgender comic book

Why it matters:

USAID programs now frozen worldwide
Staff placed on administrative leave
Agency’s future uncertain
Democrats say shutdown illegal
Trump calls leadership “radical lunatics”

What’s next:

Agency to be folded into State Department
All programs currently halted
Staff access to offices blocked
Legal challenges expected
Congress likely to weigh in

The bottom line: While USAID traditionally helps with disaster relief, refugee support, and development programs, the White House says these spending revelations justify major changes to the agency’s operations and independence.

Read more:

• USAID’s $200M tab: $10M of meals to al Qaeda-linked terrorists, millions more to DEI