In recent days, United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio has overseen the final phase of liquidating the United States Agency for International Development, known as USAID, and transferred its remaining functions and responsibilities to Russ Vought, the White House budget director. According to Politico and statements from Rubio, the move is part of President Donald Trump’s wider effort to reduce foreign aid and fold USAID’s critical programs, such as those providing food, water, and medical relief, directly into the State Department. Rubio, who has also been acting as national security adviser, called this consolidation a major taxpayer savings and highlighted that systematic downsizing of USAID preceded the final closure, a process which has eliminated tens of billions of dollars in spending since early in the year. Previously, Rubio announced slashing eighty three percent of USAID’s programs before the final absorption into the State Department on July first, effectively ending the agency’s independent operations.

Parallel to these domestic policy shifts, Secretary Rubio has stirred controversy abroad by revoking the visas of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and eighty other Palestinian officials ahead of the United Nations General Assembly. Rubio stated this was a precaution based on national security interests and alleged terrorist connections. The decision has prompted significant backlash from the European Union and individual European governments. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called the move unjust, emphasizing that Palestinian voices deserve to be heard at the United Nations. The European Union’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and French Foreign Minister Jean Noel Barrot both urged the United States to reverse Rubio’s decision, stressing that access to the United Nations should not be restricted for national delegations. The Palestinian Authority has likewise called for the United States to revoke this action, with their officials warning that such exclusion could further escalate tensions in the region. The State Department’s official explanation reiterated the importance of holding the Palestinian leadership accountable for failing to comply with their international commitments and undermining the peace process.

Meanwhile, a group of five senators led by Ruben Gallego has pressed Secretary Rubio to prioritize humanitarian aid delivery into Gaza, emphasizing the crisis especially for infants due to restrictions on supplies like formula. The senators insist the humanitarian crisis is a matter of political will and access, not lack of resources, and called for the United States to leverage its influence to ensure aid reaches civilians trapped by the ongoing conflict.

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