A professor at Texas A&M University is voicing strong opposition to the Trump administration’s move to shut down the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), arguing that the decision is both illegal and harmful to U.S. interests.
Andrew Natsios, a former USAID director under President George W. Bush and a current professor at Texas A&M University’s Bush School of Government and Public Service, criticized the decision in a Politico article, calling it “outrageous.”
He specifically took issue with Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s claim that he could unilaterally integrate USAID into the State Department, saying, “What Elon Musk said is a bold-faced lie. They can’t do this without Congress. It’s illegal.”
As head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Musk has argued that USAID’s closure is necessary due to its being what Musk has called a “criminal organization” that “needs to die.” Musk also compared the agency to a “ball of worms.”
Natsios pushed back and defended USAID, saying the agency’s work is vital to U.S. foreign policy and security. “The argument has always been that foreign aid is not charity, it’s an investment in our national security,” he said.
Notably, his defense of USAID was published in Politico, a publication that has come under fire in recent days for reportedly being the recipient of USAID funding. In a post on Truth Social Thursday morning, President Donald Trump accused the “left-wing rag” of receiving $8,000,000 in taxpayer funds.
The agency has been revealed to have funded numerous media organizations over the years, often in the name of promoting freedom of the press abroad.
Meanwhile, Musk and others in the administration argue that it has become an unaccountable bureaucracy in need of dismantling.
Officials at Texas A&M University did not respond to a request for comment.
No ads. No paywalls. No government grants. No corporate masters.
Just real news for real Texans.
Support Texas Scorecard to keep it that way!
