Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the Trump Administration’s decision to shut down the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) during a tense interview on ABC’s Good Morning America on Tuesday.

The exchange came just hours before President Donald Trump addressed the United Nations General Assembly.

Host George Stephanopoulos pressed Rubio repeatedly, accusing the administration of putting lives at risk by ending USAID’s operations.

Rubio rejected the claim, arguing that the agency had become corrupt and ineffective.

“We shut down USAID because it was a dysfunctional organization,” Rubio said.

“Number two, we are going to do more foreign aid than any country in the world, but we’re going to do it the right way. We are not going to fund an NGO industrial complex that built itself up by taking a substantial percentage of the money. It was not going directly to the recipients, it was going to these multi-billion dollar organizations.”

Stephanopoulos challenged Rubio on whether lives had been lost as a result of the decision.

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“Senator, that’s all in the future. But are you standing by that comment that no one has died because of the aid cuts? Are all those aid organizations lying?” he asked.

Rubio dismissed the claim.

“No. That’s ridiculous. Well, then they died because England or Canada didn’t give more, or China, the second largest economy in the world. Let’s blame the other countries who don’t give any foreign aid.”

The Secretary of State emphasized that the United States continues to provide more foreign aid than any other nation, even after USAID’s closure.

He argued that critics overlook the failure of other wealthy nations to contribute at comparable levels.

“So you’re no longer disputing that the aid cuts didn’t cost people their lives?” Stephanopoulos pressed.

“It did not,” Rubio replied.

“Anyone who tells you it’s the US, if we cut a dollar, we’re responsible for some horrific thing? It’s just not true. It’s not because we cut the aid. It’s because there’s a war going on, and the aid never got to the people…they use aid as a tool against the people. In some of these places, it can’t even be distributed. Look at Haiti. It gets hijacked and stolen by criminal gangs…They’re the ones to blame, not us, who’ve provided more than anyone else.”

When Stephanopoulos continued to press him, Rubio stood firm.

“No one has died because the US cut aid. No. People have died because gangs steal the aid, other countries haven’t stepped up, but the US has saved more lives than any country in the world. We’re not gonna continue to pour billions out the door of taxpayer funds for programs that don’t work and in some cases were flat-out corrupt.”

Rubio also pointed to ongoing conflicts and instability as major obstacles to effective aid distribution.

He said that wars and criminal activity, particularly in nations like Haiti, prevent assistance from reaching those in need regardless of funding levels.

The decision to dismantle USAID and restructure foreign aid programs has become a flashpoint in Washington and abroad, with critics warning of humanitarian consequences.

Rubio, however, maintained that the administration’s approach is designed to make assistance more effective while holding organizations accountable for how money is spent.

🚨 HOLY CRAP! Sec. Marco Rubio just eviscerated ABC’s George Stephanopoulos who tried to claim people “DIED” due to cutting USAID.

GEORGE: You’re saying no one’s died because of the cuts?! Are they lying?

RUBIO: “No. That’s RIDICULOUS. Well, then they died because ENGLAND or… pic.twitter.com/aXdlk3FX70

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) September 23, 2025

The interview highlighted the sharp divide between the administration and its critics over the future of U.S. foreign aid.

Rubio signaled that while America will continue to lead the world in humanitarian assistance, reforms are necessary to ensure taxpayer funds reach the people they are intended to help.