Secretary of State Marco Rubio said forecasts of disaster after USAID’s closure were wrong, citing the State Department’s Hurricane Melissa response as proof. Officials say the department deployed DART and USAR teams, allocated about $1 million and helped distribute 5,000 family food packs in Jamaica with the U.N. World Food Programme. The USAID shutdown drew criticism from lawmakers and former presidents as the State Department pursues a large restructuring and a new "America First" global health strategy that includes a $2.5 billion Kenya agreement.
Rubio Says Critics Were Wrong About USAID Closure, Highlights State Dept Hurricane Relief
Rubio unloads on ‘alarmists,’ touts State Dept disaster response after USAID closure
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Fox News Digital that predictions of disaster after the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) was folded into the State Department proved unfounded, pointing to the department’s response to Hurricane Melissa as evidence.
The White House moved in March to absorb USAID’s remaining functions into the State Department, saying the consolidation would streamline foreign assistance, reduce duplicative programs and better align aid with U.S. interests. The change prompted layoffs that affected thousands of USAID employees.
Those worried about shuttering the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) were wrong, according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Political Debate and Criticism
Critics — including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I‑Vt.) and a group of House Democrats — warned the reorganization could increase maternal and child mortality and cause widespread harm. Former presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama also criticized the decision. Obama recorded remarks for departing USAID staff calling the closure “a travesty” and “a colossal mistake,” saying the agency performs vital work around the world.
"Alarmists in politics and the media forecasted that the closure of USAID would result in catastrophe. Now, nearly a year later, they’ve been proven wrong," Rubio said. "The State Department has realigned foreign assistance with the interests of the American people, streamlined disaster response capabilities, and leveraged the ingenuity of American companies to save lives."
Hurricane Melissa Response
Rubio pointed to the State Department’s relief efforts after Hurricane Melissa — which struck Jamaica as a Category 5 storm and was described by officials as the strongest to hit Kingston in 174 years — as a concrete example. According to officials, the department deployed a regional Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART), activated U.S.-based Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) teams, and allocated roughly $1 million for food and emergency supplies drawn from prepositioned stocks in 12 regional warehouses.
A man looks at a fallen tree in St. Catherine, Jamaica, shortly before Hurricane Melissa made landfall Oct. 28, 2025.
Working with the U.N. World Food Programme, U.S. officials said roughly 5,000 family food packs were distributed in Jamaica as part of the response and recovery effort.
"This new era of foreign assistance eliminates extreme ideological projects that previous administrations forced the American people to subsidize, cuts out the wasteful NGO industrial complex, and puts the American people first," Rubio added.
Oversight, Restructuring and Global Health Strategy
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) reviewed USAID in 2025 as part of a broader effort to eliminate wasteful spending; the review flagged contested grants including a $1.5 million program in Serbia and a $70,000 grant in Ireland. USAID was officially closed in July amid that scrutiny and the broader reorganization.
"Gutting USAID is a travesty, and it’s a tragedy," former President Barack Obama said in a video that was shown to departing USAID employees.
As the State Department absorbs USAID functions, it is pursuing a major institutional overhaul — described as the largest restructuring since the Cold War — and has rolled out an "America First Global Health Strategy" intended to deliver health assistance directly with recipient governments rather than primarily through non-governmental organizations. In December, Kenya signed the first five-year Health Cooperation Framework under the new approach: a $2.5 billion agreement intended to deepen bilateral health cooperation and encourage recipient-country investment in health systems.
Fox News’ Emma Colton contributed to this report.
