MSNBC host Joe Scarborough strongly criticized efforts to shut down the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on Friday, urging Democrats to publicly defend the agency and explain why it should remain operational.

His comments come as the Trump administration moves forward with plans to lay off 95% of USAID’s workforce, citing concerns over its use of taxpayer dollars to fund left-wing causes globally.

During a segment on his show, Scarborough argued that Democrats should not shy away from fighting for USAID, despite polling that suggests American voters are divided on foreign aid spending.

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“I find it a curious argument that some Democrats are making, which is, ‘Let’s not fight about this. You know, it’s foreign aid. Foreign aid is not popular. Let’s talk about eggs’ or let’s talk about — No, this — this is a fight that I don’t care what polls say right now, if it’s a 50/50 split,” Scarborough said.

He added, “I still have confidence in the American people that they don’t want children to die in Sudan. They don’t want them to starve to death in Sudan, and they don’t want malaria spreading all over Africa. They don’t want these diseases spreading all over the world.”

The administration’s plan to dramatically reduce USAID’s workforce was first reported by The New York Times on Thursday.

The decision follows a Jan. 20 executive order from President Donald Trump freezing most foreign aid programs while his administration reevaluates and realigns spending priorities.

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A Reuters-Ipsos poll released Wednesday found that 56% of respondents support the executive order. Meanwhile, Democratic lawmakers protested outside USAID and the Treasury Department on Tuesday after Elon Musk, co-chair of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), announced plans to shut down USAID entirely.

Scarborough also claimed that USAID provides strategic benefits beyond humanitarian assistance, arguing that cutting the agency could weaken U.S. intelligence efforts in Africa and other regions.

“If you look at not only the goodwill that the United States gets out of these programs, but the intel that we gain, let’s just be cynical about this if nobody gives a damn about the morality. The intel that we gain about al Qaeda’s actions in Africa, ISIS’ actions in Africa, what China is doing to try to elbow us out for minerals and precious resources in Africa,” he said.

He further argued that USAID provides a strong return on investment, stating: “Hearts and minds are changed and the United States power grows exponentially. What is right actually leads to might in many, many ways.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is now overseeing USAID, defended the decision to significantly reduce the agency’s workforce during a Monday press conference in El Salvador.

Rubio noted that his concerns about USAID’s oversight and effectiveness date back to his time in Congress, stating that the agency is “completely unresponsive” and “not functioning” as intended.

One example of questionable spending highlighted by Rubio was USAID’s $100 million investment in Afghanistan for a democracy project that yielded few tangible results.

The agency also provided funding for the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), a media group whose reporting on former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani played a role in the whistleblower complaint that led to Trump’s first impeachment.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt outlined several USAID-funded initiatives that were frozen under Trump’s Jan. 20 executive order, including:

• $50 million grant to Gaza for condoms
• $45 million for DEI scholarships in Burma
• $21 million for renewable electricity projects in Lebanon

Karoline Leavitt just wrapped up her White House press conference with another shocking list of absurdities USAID has been funding:

– $2 million for sex changes in Guatemala
– $6 million to fund tourism in Egypt
– $20 million on a new Sesame Street show in Iraq
– $4.5 million to… pic.twitter.com/PrVpfrlTsX

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Despite these concerns, Scarborough insisted that Democrats should make a stronger case for preserving USAID, urging them to push back against the Trump administration’s decision.

“This is a strategically smart thing to do moving forward with this program. Cut the waste, fraud, and abuse. But God, don’t gut it. And if you’re a Democrat, why not defend it?” Scarborough said.

With the Trump administration continuing to audit foreign aid spending and reevaluate the role of USAID, the debate over the agency’s future is far from over.

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