In an appearance on Fox News tonight, Secretary of State Marco Rubio explained why they had to shut down USAID, a decision that has sparked significant outrage among Democrats in Congress.

According to Rubio, the plan to reform USAID had been in the works for some time, but the decision was made to take drastic action due to "rank insubordination" within the agency. Rubio emphasized that USAID officials were being completely uncooperative, forcing the administration to intervene to bring the agency under control.

Despite the shutdown, Rubio assured that foreign aid, a core function of USAID, would continue. However, the specifics of whether this assistance will be distributed through a reformed USAID or another department, such as the State Department, have yet to be determined.

Lawmakers Warn of ‘Constitutional Crisis’

Democratic lawmakers reacted angrily to the Trump administration’s moves, calling them an overreach of executive power.

“Trying to shut down the Agency for International Development by executive order is plain illegal,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen said at a press conference outside USAID headquarters in Washington, DC, on Monday. “Elon Musk may get to be dictator of Tesla. And he may try to play dictator here in Washington, DC, but he doesn’t get to shut down the Agency for International Development.”

Sen. Chris Murphy described the action as “a constitutional crisis,” and other Democratic lawmakers vowed to fight back against what Rep. Jamie Raskin called an “outrageous, scandalous, illegal maneuver.” Rep. Gerry Connolly suggested they would challenge the move in court.

These lawmakers argued that the agency is essential to both foreign policy and national security. Rep. Ilhan Omar, who benefited from USAID’s services as a child in a refugee camp, said, “When the world interacts with Americans through programs that provide essential need, they get to see the heart and compassion of the American people.”

Outside the headquarters, crowds had gathered in protest, with employees told via email to remain at home for the day. Many USAID staffers were seen holding signs emphasizing the life-saving work of the agency. Chants of “U-S-Aid” filled the air as lawmakers approached the microphones.

“Watching the way that the very basis of the mission has been completely dismantled has been insane and unconscionable,” said Kristina Drye, a speechwriter at the agency. “The short-term implications are that people will die.”

“These are people who don’t have time to wait,” added another official, William Lewis. “This process can’t play itself out. We need people to step up and fill the gap and help these people survive. And that’s what we try to do here. We save lives and alleviate suffering.”

Rubio: USAID Must Align with U.S. Foreign Policy

Speaking to the press in El Salvador, Rubio stated that the "functions of USAID" must align with U.S. foreign policy, calling it "a completely unresponsive agency."

Rubio was asked about the arguments that USAID’s work is vital to national security and promoting U.S. interests. He responded by acknowledging that there are important functions that USAID serves, which the U.S. will continue.

“There are things that USAID, that we do through USAID, that we should continue to do, and we will continue to do,” Rubio said.

“This is not about ending the programs that USAID does, per se,” he added. “There are things that it does that are good and there are things that it does that we have strong questions about.”

Rubio went on to explain that his frustration with USAID dates back to his time in Congress. In 2017, the former senator defended the importance of foreign assistance, stating, “Foreign Aid is not charity. We must make sure it is well spent, but it is less than 1% of budget & critical to our national security,” in a post on X at the time.

For more details, watch the interview below: