Journalist Kyle Becker reported that the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) made payments totaling $8.1 million to the liberal news outlet Politico, spread across 236 transactions. These payments came from various government agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Energy. This revelation sparked controversy, particularly as Politico staff experienced a pay delay, which they attributed to a “technical error.” Becker criticized the payments, stating that taxpayer money was being sent to a partisan outlet.

Meanwhile, USAID is undergoing significant restructuring under President Trump’s administration. The Associated Press reported that the administration is planning to remove all USAID workers from the field worldwide, citing wasteful spending. Many workers have already been let go, and several programs are being shut down as part of the Department of Government Efficiency’s efforts to reduce government size and control spending.