Trump Official Behind USAID Closure Leaves Post As Musk-Led Cuts Reshape Agency

Trump administration official Pete Marocco, who was involved in shutting down the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), has exited the State Department.

According to sources, Marocco, who was the director of foreign assistance at the State Department, might have been forced to leave his position, but no clear reason was given.

The move came as Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency cut funding and laid off contractors across many federal agencies, claiming it was part of a plan to reduce wasteful spending.

"Pete was brought to State with a big mission – to conduct an exhaustive review of every dollar spent on foreign assistance," a senior administration official said, Reuters reported. "He conducted that historic task and exposed egregious abuses of taxpayer dollars. We all expect big things are in store for Pete on his next mission."

Foreign aid talks before departure

Last week, Marocco held a meeting at the State Department with around 20 experts to talk about the future of U.S. foreign aid and gather feedback, a source familiar with the session said.

When Marocco rejoined the State Department less than a month ago, he wrote in an internal email that he was returning as director of foreign assistance to "bring value back to the American people."

Senator slams Marocco's tenure, warns of lasting damage to US foreign policy

Democratic Senator Brian Schatz from Hawaii had criticized Pete Marocco's time in office, saying it caused major disruptions at USAID, introduced harmful policies at the State Department, and weakened long-standing U.S. foreign policy efforts.

He also said Marocco's actions led to millions of people losing access to critical aid and damaged America's reputation with global partners. Despite Marocco's departure, concerns remain about the impact of his work.

Trump, Musk target USAID

Meanwhile, Trump has claimed that USAID was full of fraud and controlled by far-left activists, apart from calling the agency a criminal organization. Earlier this month, the Trump administration decided to bring back at least six U.S. foreign aid programs that had recently been cancelled.

These programs were meant to provide emergency food assistance. Marocco, along with Musk, reportedly pushed for major budget cuts to USAID and State Department programs, which led to conflicts with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who opposed some of these cuts.

Marocco's return marked major cuts and controversy

Marocco had held roles in the Defense, State, and Commerce departments, as well as USAID during the first Trump administration. In 2020, the USAID staff had accused him of mistreating employees and cutting programs based on his idea of "national security."

After leaving his government role in 2021, Marocco supported Trump's claims of election fraud and later joined the president's 2024 transition team. Upon returning to government, Marocco began dismantling USAID, cutting staff and pushing to cancel 83% of its programs.

In a March meeting with lawmakers, he reportedly called USAID a "money-laundering scheme" and questioned the legality of foreign aid. Marocco also criticized USAID for promoting LGBTQ rights and supporting movements that removed authoritarian regimes, views echoed by far-right leaders in Russia and Hungary.

In a March op-ed, he claimed U.S. taxpayer money was being misused by aid programs. By the end of March, the Trump administration shut down USAID, with around 900 of its 6,000 programs moving under State Department control.