Bill Gates effort to overturn DOGE cuts to USAID falls flat
Share and Follow


WASHINGTON () A push by Bill Gates to reverse the Trump administration’s cuts to the U.S. Agency for International Development has fallen flat, has learned.

The billionaire philanthropist met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio last week at the White House to make his pitch over the cuts, which came at the behest of the quasi-official Department of Government Efficiency.

Gates made his move after President Donald Trump’s relationship with Elon Musk, the head of DOGE, melted down in a bitter online feud.

But Rubio’s position “has not changed,” a State Department spokesperson told .

“He does not believe U.S. taxpayers should be burdened with covering the costs for progressive projects abroad, including funding contraceptives, electric buses and DEI,” the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson added, “We will only be funding true lifesaving programs and initiatives that advance our national interests.”

The battle over USAID has become emblematic of the broader debate about the work of Musk and DOGE. Supporters say the businessman and his allies were helping winnow down a bloated and wasteful government. Critics contend cuts were made in a cavalier and arbitrary fashion, and that their approach would harm the nation’s interests in the end.

In the first two weeks of the Trump administration, DOGE largely dismantled the work of more than 10,000 USAID employees worldwide. All but 15 staffers were put on leave, and signage identifying the headquarters in Washington, D.C., was removed.

Gates condemned the cuts soon afterward. In an interview with the Financial Times in May, he accused Musk, the world’s richest man, of “killing the world’s poorest children.” 

“The picture of the world’s richest man killing the world’s poorest children is not a pretty one,” Gates said 

The White House has since asked Congress to claw back $8.3 billion in federal funds that had been appropriated for foreign aid the bulk of it already designated for USAID.

Share and Follow
You May Also Like
Utah building explodes into the sky after vehicle crashes into business, causes fire

Utah building explodes into the sky after vehicle crashes into business, causes fire

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! A building at a…
Newly single Katy Perry shows ex Orlando Bloom on 'family' yacht trip

Katy Perry takes a yacht trip with family, post-breakup with Orlando Bloom

Katy Perry showed off her incredible figure in a black bikini during…
Antisemitic attackers violently target synagogue, Israeli restaurant in Australia

Antisemitic attackers violently target synagogue, Israeli restaurant in Australia

Australia hit by rise in antisemitic incidents A synagogue was firebombed in…
Texas police officer shot near ICE detention center as Trump officials promise zero tolerance

Texas police officer shot near ICE detention center as Trump officials promise zero tolerance

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! The Trump administration is…
Tropical Storm Chantal makes landfall over South Carolina with 50 mph winds

Tropical Storm Chantal arrives in South Carolina with winds of 50 mph

Tropical Storm Chantal made landfall at about 4 a.m. on Sunday near…
New Mexico mother disappears after taking lunch to her daughter, family says

Mother from New Mexico goes missing after delivering lunch to her daughter, according to family.

TAOS COUNTY, N.M. (KRQE) – It’s been more than a week since a northern…
Jacksonville travelers return home smoothly following July 4th

Jacksonville vacationers had a smooth journey back home after July 4th

JAX Airport smoothly handled a surge of travelers during the busiest Fourth…
Road rage incident leaves girl, 5, shot in leg -- and the bullet in her sippy cup

Violent confrontation on the road results in a 5-year-old girl getting shot in the leg, with the bullet ending up in her drinking cup.

A 5-year-old girl was shot through the leg — with the bullet…