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Trump and Rubio's War on Aid Is a War on America’s Soul [1]
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Date: 2025-06-05
Marco Rubio has decided to make starvation his legacy.
That may sound extreme, but it’s the only honest way to describe his ongoing campaign to destroy USAID, the agency responsible for delivering food, vaccines, education, and hope to millions of people around the globe. In a recent opinion column, Rubio proudly outlined his support for gutting foreign aid, claiming it’s riddled with waste and driven by ideology.
Let’s be clear about what’s really happening.
Under Donald Trump’s revived second-term agenda, aid has already been slashed. Food programs in Haiti have shut down. HIV medication pipelines are drying up across Africa. Trauma clinics in Ukraine are shuttering. And now Rubio wants to make sure this damage is permanent.
His argument? That USAID is spreading “radical gender ideology” and spending too much on climate programs and diversity trainings. These are talking points pulled straight from the far right's culture war playbook. But the people dying of hunger or untreated disease do not care about Washington buzzwords. They care about staying alive.
Rubio’s brand of conservatism has always relied on telling the public that suffering abroad is someone else’s problem. That America should not be in the business of feeding children or helping war survivors rebuild. But that is not foreign policy. That is cowardice.
What makes Rubio’s position so dangerous is not just what it says about our role in the world. It is what it says about who we are. America spent decades building a global system that, however flawed, saved millions of lives and helped stabilize large parts of the world. We told countries we would stand with them, that we would show up when disaster hit, that we would help rebuild after war and famine. That promise is now being shredded for political points.
And let’s not ignore the context. These cuts are coming as authoritarianism is on the rise, as China deepens its global influence, and as climate shocks threaten to plunge entire regions into crisis. Dismantling USAID is a gift to every dictator and warlord hoping the United States will retreat into apathy.
The irony is that many of the values Rubio claims to defend, religious freedom, family integrity, and national security, are served by a strong humanitarian strategy. Churches that rely on USAID partners to run schools and clinics are watching their programs disappear. Entire communities once stabilized by food aid are slipping into chaos. And the young people who looked to America as a force for good are now turning to anyone who will help, including actors hostile to our interests.
This is not fiscal conservatism. The foreign aid budget is less than one percent of total federal spending. Cutting it will not solve any of America’s actual problems. What it will do is broadcast to the world that our promises mean nothing.
It is easy to wave a flag and call yourself a patriot. It is harder to act like one.
America’s greatness has always been tied to its willingness to extend a hand beyond its borders, not as charity, but as a commitment to shared humanity and global leadership. If we abandon that now, we are not just losing influence. We are losing something much more important.
Our soul.
We are Fighting Back . You Can Too.
The Alliance for American Leadership is tracking the impact of aid cuts, rallying support to restore funding, meeting with members of Congress, and reminding Americans of the real meaning of American leadership: decency, duty, and hope.
In just our first two months, we've recruited over 400 volunteers from 41 states, including 23 senior campaign strategists and the former Briefing Manager for the Kamala Harris Presidential Campaign.
And we’re only getting started.
We are on track to mobilize 5,000 volunteers by the 2026 midterm elections to fight for American leadership. We will resist fascism, restore USAID, and rebuild America’s role as a force for good in the world. This is our moment to lead with integrity and purpose, showing the world. What true American values are all about.
But behind every meeting, every voice, and every victory is the operational engine that makes it all possible — and right now, we need your help to keep it running.
We must raise $20,000 to sustain the operational infrastructure that powers this movement. That means funding our digital outreach and empowering the young, diverse, and working-class leaders who are too often left out of the fight. Your support keeps the lights on, the teams moving, and the pressure on Congress at full force.
If you want to stand with us:
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