The Trump administration has officially moved to cancel 83 per cent of the programmes at the US Agency for International Development (USAID). The decision was announced by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who stated in a post on X that the ‘5,200 contracts that are now cancelled spent tens of billions of dollars in ways that did not serve, and in some cases even harmed, the core national interests of the United States.’

According to Rubio, the remaining 17 per cent of programmes—around a thousand contracts—will be managed more effectively under the State Department. ‘Thank you to DOGE and our hardworking staff who worked very long hours to achieve this overdue and historic reform,’ the secretary of state concluded, expressing gratitude towards the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), co-chaired by US billionaire Elon Musk.

The decision came just days after the Supreme Court ruled that the US government must pay USAID contractors, upholding a lower court ruling. However, this ruling applies only to completed projects and does not cover future planned initiatives or authorized funding. The total amount ordered to be paid is approximately $2 billion.

How Operation USAID Unfolded

Immediately after his inauguration on 20 January, President Donald Trump ordered a 90-day freeze on all US foreign assistance—except for programmes where a halt would result directly in loss of human life. Following this, DOGE launched an investigation into USAID, the federal agency responsible for allocating most US foreign assistance, which many have described as an extension of the CIA and a tool for advancing progressive agendas worldwide. These suspicions, it turns out, were well-founded.

Just days into the review, major revelations began emerging. Trump and Musk exposed a vast network of USAID-funded NGOs and media outlets—many of which claim to be independent—including prominent mainstream platforms such as The New York Times and POLITICO. These organizations, the investigation found, have been actively promoting a globalist agenda, undermining sovereign nations, and supporting regime change efforts—even in allied countries.

USAID in Hungary

It has also been revealed that USAID played a significant role in shaping Hungary’s domestic politics. In December 2022, just three months after Biden-appointed ambassador to Hungary David Pressman arrived in Budapest, the US Embassy announced USAID’s return to the country (it left after the regime change of 1990). According to the announcement, USAID’s mission was to ‘strengthen democratic institutions, civil society, and independent media.’ Shortly after, huge grants began flowing to opposition media outlets, government-critical NGOs, and other groups seen as potential challengers to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his government.

USAID worked closely with Pressman to finance an extensive media network that amplified every critical statement made by the US ambassador. In 2023 former USAID administrator Samantha Power visited Hungary, where she met with opposition journalists—described as ‘independent’ in US Embassy reports—LGBTQ activists, and civil society groups. During a press conference she openly criticized Hungary’s political landscape.

Following the exposure of the covert influence network, Orbán vowed to take action against foreign-funded NGOs and media outlets. In his State of the Nation speech in February, he announced plans to introduce legislation similar to the US Magnitsky Act to block foreign funding for political activities.

The Hungarian government also appointed former MEP András László as governmental commissioner to investigate how and to whom USAID channelled money in Hungary. After arriving in Washington last week and meeting USAID head Pete Marocco, László announced that all USAID contracts in Hungary had been terminated. According to László, the total value of disclosed USAID interventions in Hungary over the past four years amounts to at least $20.2 million. He emphasized his determination to ‘get to the bottom of these interventions as soon as possible in preparation for next year's elections so that we can take the necessary measures to protect Hungary’s sovereignty.’

However, as Orbán pointed out, ‘the empire has two heads’—one in Washington and one in Brussels—with the latter still very much active. While globalists have been defeated in the United States, he warned, they are now relocating in the capital of the European Union.

According to a recent report by Hungary’s Sovereignty Protection Office (SZH), USAID activities in Central Europe focused on four key areas:

• Increasing the capacity of political pressure groups;
• Strengthening the so-called independent media;
• Developing rule of law and anti-corruption oversight mechanisms;
• Increasing participation in electoral and political processes.

The report also found that USAID has close ties to numerous NGOs linked to Hungarian-born US billionaire George Soros. It did not rule out the possibility that even the municipality of Budapest may have been involved to some extent.

NGOs:

• Open Society Foundations
• National Democratic Institute
• The Power of Art Cum Virtute Humanitatis Foundation
• Hungarian Helsinki Committee
• Hungarian Environmental Partnership Foundation
• Mérték Media Monitor
• DemNet Foundation
• Civil College Foundation
• Amnesty International Hungary
• Hungarian Civil Liberties Union

Media Outlets:

• Átlátszó
• 444
• Direkt36
• Telex
• Free Europe

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