Posted on 02/07/2025 10:39:19 AM PST by where's_the_Outrage?
As the Trump administration this week dismantled the U.S. Agency for International Development, the primary vehicle for U.S. foreign aid, the White House issued a statement justifying its actions. Titled “At USAID, Waste and Abuse Runs Deep,” the news release claimed USAID “has been unaccountable to taxpayers as it funnels massive sums of money to the ridiculous — and, in many cases, malicious — pet projects of entrenched bureaucrats, with next-to-no oversight.”
The news release then listed 12 examples, plucked from the websites of right-wing media. But the numbers cited — as low as $32,000 — hardly justify the claim that these are “massive sums” of money. In fact, they are so low that some of the funds appear to have been awarded at the ambassador level, without Washington involvement. At least one dated from the first Trump administration, and some were actually State Department grants, not USAID.
Whether they are “ridiculous” might be in the eye of the beholder. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt held up the sheet before reporters on Monday and declared, “I don’t know about you, but as an American taxpayer I don’t want my dollars going toward this crap.”
In fiscal year 2023, USAID was appropriated about $25 billion by Congress, according to ForeignAssistance.gov. (The website in recent days has been changed to combine USAID spending with foreign aid distributed by the State Department, so the combined total is nearly $39 billion.) The White House identified only about $12 million in grants — one of which was $6 million — though one allegation vaguely claimed “hundreds of millions of dollars.” Upon inspection, that turned out to be from 2005 to 2008.
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
They make points like:
“$70,000 for production of a ‘DEI musical’ in Ireland”
This is wrong. This was a State Department grant, not USAID.
People who still only listen to the legacy media are basically going to be living under a rock from this point forward. They will be so kept in the dark as to what is going on, and so misinformed and misdirected, that talking to them will be totally useless because they will have virtually no contact with reality. Fortunately their numbers dwindle every day.
Do you hear yourself, Martha?
Now the lies with nuance begins where the intentionally use weasel words and definitions in an attempt to deceive.
Like nit picking a detail or vague definition then using that to discredit the entire premise. The tools of dishonest immoral sophists.
They are going to lose this argument. The American taxpayer isn’t going to care about those details. They only know their money has been absolutely wasted on corrupt and insane projects at best, simply laundered and given to the crime lords at the top of this pyramid scheme at worst. Either way...blood is in the water and the American Public shark is circling...
“As low as $32,000”
Hey, that’s almost 3 years of my Federal Income tax. If it’s such a piddly amount, I guess nobody will care if I stop paying from now on.
Nice try
If Glen Kessler says something, it is a sure bet the truth is just the opposite. His “fact” checking has proven to be a total joke and nothing but leftist propaganda support.
dont care
cut cut cut
take a smoke break
then cut some more
Dang. I played guess the source and NYT was wrong...
Seems like the reaction to a ‘temporary halt’ to perform a long-overdue audit is a little.... EXTREME.
Not buying the story they’re selling.
Seems like the reaction to a ‘temporary halt’ to perform a long-overdue audit is a little.... EXTREME.
Not buying the story they’re selling.
Cry More WAPO - Cry More! HAHAHAHA
excellent point
the level of materiality should the same as our tax returns
Compost. No credibility.
Might weak attempt at cover. Sounds like declaring that shoplifting less than $900 isn’t worth the mention or trouble, just a little crime.
70 grand of malfeasance is just a little irregularity and all that.
The WaPo has investigated as a “reader service” and found that the people who are bribing it aren’t bribing it. Good to know.
the spending must continue unimpeded
how else are the dems going to get to 50 trillion in debt
the dems are the grow the debt party
Hey Washington Post, $70,000? Is that about what you were normally paid per story by the USAID?
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