Rep. Clyde to Newsmax: USAID 'Needs to Be Shut Down'

Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., told Newsmax on Thursday that revelations that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) spent taxpayer money on subscriptions to Politico and LGBTQ initiatives around the world are "almost unbelievable" and said the agency "needs to be shut down."

"I mean, you can add $2 million to that for sex changes and LGBTQ activism in Guatemala," Clyde said on "National Report." "I mean, it just never ends with USAID. It needs to be shut down. The money needs to be pulled back, as President [Donald] Trump is doing. When he told the American people that he was going to reduce the size, scope, and cost of government, that's exactly what's happening, and you're seeing it live. You know, Make America Great Again, MAGA, also stands for Make Affordable Government Again, and he's doing that right there. So I applaud the president; I applaud DOGE [the Department of Government Efficiency] and what they're doing. It's great to see more of it."

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday that the federal government spent $8.2 million on subscriptions to political news site Politico last year. Leavitt said that DOGE auditors will be going "line by line when it comes to the federal government's books," asking, "Do these receipts serve the interests of the American people?"

Clyde also commented on Trump's attempt to scale back the size of government by buying out federal employees. It was reported that more than 40,000 federal employees had accepted the buyout offer as of Wednesday night. Millions face a Thursday deadline to notify the administration whether they will accept the buyout or remain in their jobs to potentially face being ousted at some point in the future. It is unclear how many will ultimately take the offer, which promises their salaries will be paid until October if they resign by Thursday.

"I think, again, the president is all about reducing the size and scope of government," Clyde said. "We have a bloated government that needs to be reduced in size, and so this is one way to do it. And I think it's a great way to do it. I think we need to do more of it. The executive has tremendous authority to reduce the size and scope of government. Congress also has a part to play in this, and I think that we're going to come on board in force with budget reconciliation to do that. So I'm looking forward to it, glad to be part of it, and support the president and his plans."

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