Foreign Secretary Marco Rubio told a state agency on Wednesday that foreign aid is “the lowest thing in the government that the government spends money” and has made it difficult to defend it.
Mr. Rubio tried to explain his support for the Trump administration’s end to the US -aid during a question and answer meeting held at the US Embassy in Guatemala city, a day later, thousands of agency workers It was learned that they were being kept on administration. Leave and return to the United States.
There was no reporter in the program, a standard “meeting and congratulations” for the secretaries of the state visiting foreign capitals, but the New York Times received a partial transcript.
Some of what Mr. Rubio said has reflected public remarks in recent days, but in a moment during the embassy incident, he appeared to speak with some sympathy for the agency.
To field a shit but to the relevant question Haven Cruz HubrdMr. Rubio, director of the USAID Mission for Guatemala, launched an excellent line between defense of foreign aid, which he called “necessary”, and ending President Trump’s agency.
Mr Rubio also seemed to have acknowledged personal problems that he now manages. “I know it is difficult to ask for patience,” he told Mr. Cruz Habard. “I know it is difficult to ask for trust, because you have never met me before. I have never been in charge of the State Department. I have never worked as US Administrator.
The Trump administration named Mr. Rubio earlier this week. He said that the agency, which is free from the State Department, was already examined before the role “fell on me.”
Mr Cruz Habard, who said he was a 23 -year -old veteran from the agency, said Mr Rubio came to “a cautious moment for USAID” and told him that “we have been very criticized for USAID What we have tried to do.
He said, and, you know, now we are likely to send home. “
He lodged the agency’s programs in Guatemala and said that he played a vital role in giving Guatemala’s privileges to stay in the country instead of migrating to the north.
Mr Rubio replied that the agency’s programs appear in the country. But he said it was not true everywhere, and he reiterated his recent claims that USAID programs should be brought to better alignment with the interests of US national security.
He also indicated that public opposition to foreign aid – which Polls have been shown long Being based on false information, which has been promoted by Trump’s officials and allies – made the agency’s defense practically impossible.
Mr Rubio said, “I want to tell you that it’s not about politics.” “But foreign aid is the lowest thing that the government spends. And I spent a lot of time in my career defending and explaining it. But it is difficult and difficult to do all over the board. It’s really “
“But among us in charge of doing foreign policy work, we think it is important,” he added.
“The United States is not turning away from foreign aid. This is not, “said Mr. Rubio.” Otherwise, we endanger foreign aid.
At the speeding of some regrets with which USAID workers are being kept on leave and calling it back, he suggested that relatively small numbers of agency workers further dramatic action Forced.
“We had problems with some people in the office,” he said. “Does this mean that the actions of 5, 10, 20, 50 people have been charged with a whole organization? No, but we have been asked not to do so, despite the emphasis on payments. Do not provide specific examples of payments.
Mr Rubio said the workers were “inviting themselves to be in trouble so that they could make a news story from it.”
“We did not try to chase it,” he said. And as a result, in return we needed to do something else, “he said later:” We just have to do it faster than what we think. “
A State Department spokesman did not immediately respond to the comment request.
