While the Trump administration is reducing the US Agency for International Development, false and misleading information is urged on social media to support the change that is distributed by the administration and the Elon Musk.
The contributions raise questions about the financing of certain projects and organizations and often claim without evidence that the money has been used inappropriately.
The Press spokesman for the White House, Karoline Leavitt, said on Tuesday to reporters that USAID spent $ 1.5 million for the promotion of Dei at the jobs of Serbia; 70,000 US dollars for the production of a DEI musical in Ireland; $ 47,000 for a transgender opera in Colombia, $ 32,000 for a transgender comic in Peru. “These claims were taken up and distributed on social media throughout the week.
Only the grant to a Serbian organization called Grupa Izadji was awarded by USAID. His declared goal is to “promote diversity, justice and inclusion in Serbia’s jobs and business communities”.
The rest was awarded by the Foreign Ministry of the Unter -Secretary for public diplomacy and public affairs. In 2022 it granted an Irish company 70,884 US dollars for “a live music event to promote the common and Irish common values of diversity, justice, inclusion and accessibility”. A scholarship for $ 25,000 was awarded to a university in Colombia in 2021 to raise awareness and boost the transgender representation through the production of an opera, with further $ 22,020 from non-federal funds. And $ 32,000, which were awarded to a Peruvian organization in 2022, financed “a tailor -made comic with an LGBTQ+ hero who deals with problems with social and mental health”.
“The information environment about what USAD does and what does not come to a very difficult place where many false and misleading information is spread,” said Rachel Bonnifield, Senior Fellow at the Center for Global Development. “And I would hope that everyone could return to the publicly available facts, and we can have a good discussion about what USAID should do based on them.”
Sean Roberts, professor of international affairs at George Washington University and director of the Master program for the school’s international development studies, said that it was “sensible” that these programs were financed by the Secretary.
“They do these small subsidy programs as public relations for local organizations and local communities and they should generally reflect values of the United States and the friendship between the countries,” he said. “Sometimes it is democracy, in this case it is diversity. But they have nothing to do with the USA. “
After the presentation of USAID financing by the Trump government, including Leavitt’s explanation at the beginning of this week, the deputy spokesman for the White House, Anna Kelly said: “This waste of taxpayers -dollars underlines why the President on the first day The foreign assistant held to ensure that it is oriented towards American interests. ”She did not go into the incorrectly shown grants.
What about the media?
Large media are among the organizations that are wrong and misleading, including the Associated Press.
For example, the BBC is said to have received approximately $ 3.2 million (£ 2.6 million) in the 2023-2024 financial year. But this money did not go to his news operation. It went to BBC Media Action, an international charity organization that is “part of the BBC family”, but is separated from BBC News, said the charity organization in a statement. This year it was about 8% of the BBC Media Action budget.
“We follow the editorial standards and values of the BBC in our support for media for public interests,” the explanation said. “However, all of our funds go to our own projects. These are completely separated from BBC News journalism. We have no influence on the editorial decision -making of BBC News. The BBC in the UK is mainly financed by a TV license fee. “
The BBC – without BBC Media Action, an independent company – also receives an income from the commercial subsidiaries of the organization.
Contributions that are widespread on social media also mistakenly claimed that Politico received USAID from USAID in 2024. Some contributions made this number up to 34.3 million US dollars. This is wrong. USAID paid the news page in the 2023 and 2024 subscription fees of $ 44,000. However, additional government payments came from other companies.
Politico told the readers of the CEO Goli Sheikholllami and the editor -in -chief John Harris in an explanation that it would not be able to get a government subsidy on Thursday.
The Associated Press was one of the media that are supposed to receive USAID financing. Although the news wire has paid 37.5 million US dollars from other government agencies since 2008, none of this came from USAID, according to a Federal Government website that is pursuing its expenses. The AP spokeswoman Lauren Easton said: “The US government has long been an AP customer -both through democratic and republican administrations. IT licenses APS impartial journalism, just like thousands of news agencies and customers all over the world. For governments, it is widespread to conclude contracts with news organizations for their content. “
Values change
Experts for foreign aids say that it is normal for an in -depth administration to examine how the support is assigned and to make changes based on their values.
“In order for a new administration to enter and check the help to see whether it corresponds to its view of the American interest and its political priorities, its general orientation, this is theoretically completely normal and appropriate. Elections have consequences, ”said Bonnifield.
However, she added that the information that is distributed on social media via the USA -Financing shows a lack of understanding of how the agency works.
“There are certain motivations that are assigned that do not really seem to squadry with the facts, and people draw conclusions without understanding what happens,” she said. “This does not necessarily mean that all of these expenses are good or should continue, but they imply the intention that is not there.”
Roberts described the current approach of the Trump administration for USA as “now shooting, ask questions later”, in which she strengthens all financing data by using “arsonals based on nothing”.
“You simply tend to hide a rational discussion about whether this agency is worthwhile and what your goals are and what the purpose of foreign help is,” he said in relation to the latest social media contributions on the financing of USAID .
Bonnifield and Roberts agreed that further investigations would be necessary to determine whether there are cases of inappropriate or wasteful expenditure regardless of political views.
USAI is an independent agency that has supported humanitarian and development aid all over the world for more than 60 years. According to his annual report in 2023, the agency worked in more than 100 countries worldwide from five focuses: promotion of global health, support for global stability, the provision of humanitarian aid, the catalysis of innovation and partnership and strengthening women and girls.
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