The Donald Trump aide who spearheaded the take down of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) has been cut from the State Department.
Pete Marocco, who led the dismantlement of 83 percent of all US foreign aid programs and was appointed the head of the Inter-American Foundation, has allegedly left the department amid clashes with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
‘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.
‘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.’
Another government official reportedly implied it was not Marocco’s decision to leave the department and he learned he was being axed last week.
They would not give any further clarification on the nature of his departure.
He and Rubio had conflicting ideas about how foreign cuts should be executed, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Over the course of a 90-day review of assistance programs, Marocco was reportedly in favor of more extensive cuts, while Rubio fought to keep life-saving efforts intact.
On Thursday, he held a ‘listening session’ with experts at the State Department to discuss the future of America’s foreign aid programs.
Pete Marocco (pictured), who led the dismantlement of 83 percent of all US foreign aid programs and was appointed the head of the Inter-American Foundation, has left the State Department
DOGE’s dismantlement of the USAID sparked outrage and protests from Elon Musk’s critics (pictured: demonstrators during a ‘Hands Off’ protest outside of the USAID office on April 5)
Marocco returned to the State Department as the director of foreign assistance less than a month ago after serving as the deputy administrator of USAID as it was dismantled.
The Trump administration has slashed about 90 percent of the USAID’s foreign contracts, the Associated Press reported.
‘I am going to return to my post as the Director of Foreign Assistance to bring value back to the American people,’ he wrote in an email obtained by Reuters.
It is unclear if Marocco is completely leaving the State Department or being moved to a different position.
Hawaiian Democratic Senator Brian Schatz said: ‘Marocco’s tenure brought chaos to USAID, reckless and unlawful policy to the State Department, and dismantled long-standing US foreign policy.’
The Trump loyalist was appointed the only employee of the Inter-American Foundation (IAF) in February after Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) eviscerated the entire agency.
The IAF is a government agency that supports Latin American and Caribbean groups, according to its website.
He first assumed the role of the only board member, but soon declared himself the foundation’s president and CEO.
Marocco cut all of the grants IAF was providing except for one, according to the Associated Press.
The headcount at the independent federal agency prior to DOGE’s interference was 48, and the average employee salary was $131,000 each year, according to Elon Musk’s department.
Marocco allegedly clashed with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (pictured) over how to execute foreign aid cuts
The Trump administration slashed about 90 percent of the USAID’s foreign contracts (pictured: demonstrators outside of the USAID office on April 5)
‘The Inter-American Foundation, an agency whose primary action was to issue federal grants ($60million budget), has been reduced to its statutory minimum (1 active employee),’ DOGE posted to its X account.
The cuts to the agency were made in response to Trump’s February 19 executive order to reduce the roles of the IAF, the Presidio Trust, the US African Development Foundation and the US Institute of Peace.
A federal judge ruled on April 4 the Trump administration had no authority to tear the IAF apart and remove its president Sara Aviel, according to the Associated Press.
Aviel has sued the Trump administration following her and her employees’ removals.
US District Judge Loren AliKhan said: ‘Because neither President Trump nor Mr. Marocco had the authority to fire her from her position as the president of the IAF, Ms. Aviel is likely to succeed on the merits of her case.’
She determined that all of Marocco’s actions at the IAF did not have any legitimate legal effect.
AliKhan also barred the White House from reinstating Marocco as an IAF board member unless he gets confirmed by the senate.
The cuts were made in accordance with an executive order President Donald Trump (pictured) signed last month to reduce the roles of the Inter-American Foundation, the Presidio Trust, the US African Development Foundation and the US Institute of Peace
Elon Musk’s (pictured) Department of Government Efficiency completely eviscerated the Inter-American Foundation
Congressional Democrats as well as the agency’s former board chairman have also accused Trump of overstepping its authority by attempting to shut down the agency without Congressional approval.
‘Only an act of Congress – not an executive action – can dissolve or eliminate the IAF,’ Congress members Joaquin Castro, Cory Booker, Tim Kaine and Debbie Wasserman Schultz wrote in a letter to the White House at the time.
‘Any attempt to unilaterally dismantle the Foundation through executive action violates the law and exceed the constitutional limits of executive authority.’
