He announced this on his page on the social network X (formerly Twitter).
According to Rubio, the decision to close the agency was made after its main programs were transferred to the control of the State Department. The process of shutting down the agency is being led by Russell Vought, Director of the Office of Management and Budget.
In his post, Rubio wrote: "In a conversation with President Trump, I jokingly said that I have four jobs. He told me: 'Give one of them to my friend Russell Vought.'"
The Secretary of State also said that the closure of USAID would save American taxpayers tens of billions of dollars starting in January 2025.
Earlier, Elon Musk—appointed by President Trump to lead a commission on optimizing budget expenditures—had indicated he was working on shutting down USAID. In March, it was announced that over 80% of the agency's programs were officially terminated.
It is also reported that USAID leadership ordered staff to destroy all confidential documents stored in the headquarters. This decision has raised questions and led to legal proceedings in the U.S. Senate.
The closure of USAID is being assessed as a significant turning point in U.S. international aid policy.
