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Donald Trump’s big claim: Billions of dollars stolen at USAID for payments to ‘fake’ news media
- Donald Trump's big claims: Billions of dollars stolen at USAID for payments to news media
US President Donald Trump on Thursday made a shocking and unsubstantiated claim that billions of dollars have been stolen from USAID for payments to the news media.
Trump made the claim on his Truth Social network.
“Looks like billions of dollars have been stolen at USAID and other agencies, much of it going to the fake news media as a “payoff” for creating good stories about the Democrats,” reads the post.
Further claiming that “Politico” seems to have received $8,000,000, Trump asked, “Did the New York Times receive money??? Who else did???”
This could be the biggest scandal of them all, said Trump, adding, “Perhaps the biggest in history! The democrats can’t hide from this one. Too big, too dirty!”
Meanwhile, in a memo to staff on Wednesday, Politico’s leaders — Goli Sheikholeslami and John Harris — denied that the media company has received any funding from the government, reported CNN.
“POLITICO has never been a beneficiary of government programs or subsidies — not one cent, ever, in 18 years,” the news outlet’s leaders wrote in the memo.
On January 20, after taking oath as 47th US President, Trump implemented a 90-day freeze on foreign assistance. Four days later, Peter Marocco — a returning political appointee from Trump’s first term — drafted a tougher than expected interpretation of that order, a move that shut down thousands of programs around the world and forced furloughs and layoffs.
However, USAID and foreign aid are among those hit the hardest.
Dozens of senior officials have been put on leave, thousands of contractors laid off, and employees were told Monday not to enter its Washington headquarters. And USAID's website and its account on the X platform have been taken down.
Thursday deadline to end
As Thursday deadline approached, workers wrestled whether to accept a "buyout offer" from the Trump administration, which has warned that those who don't take it could be fired in a massive downsizing of many federal agencies.
Federal worker unions renewed their warning to their members that the offer is not trustworthy and may not be legal, despite administration assurances. At least 20,000 workers have so far taken the deal, Reported Reuters quoting a White House source.
President Donald Trump has deputized Elon Musk to lead the government overhaul, which has caused widespread panic among workers and sparked public protests in the capital.
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Business NewsNewsUs NewsDonald Trump’s big claim: Billions of dollars stolen at USAID for payments to ‘fake’ news media
First Published:6 Feb 2025, 09:39 PM IST
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