Marco Rubio Ditches One of His Four Jobs in the Trump Administration Ahead to his Trip To Mexico

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced today that the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will be placed under the stewardship of Russell Vought, Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The transition, framed as part of the agency's formal "close-out," comes just days before embarking on a key diplomatic mission in Latin America.

On August 29, 2025, Rubio announced on social media that he had "four jobs" and that, at President Trump's suggestion, delegated the USAID close‑out to his friend Russ Vought, who currently serves as Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and acting head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). On July 1, Rubio noted that, with core programs having already moved to the State Department, USAID was now officially in "close‑out mode." Vought will now oversee the remaining wind‑down phase of the agency.

This move reduces yet another responsibility from Rubio's extensive portfolio, which includes roles as Secretary of State, Acting National Security Advisor, and former administrator of USAID, and solidifies Vought's expanding influence in dismantling America's global development operations.

By delegating oversight of the agency's closure to Vought, who already serves as OMB director and acting head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Rubio has ensured that the complex bureaucratic process will continue under an ally aligned with the administration's budgetary and ideological priorities.

Rubio's decision to hand off USAID responsibilities comes just ahead of his fourth trip as Secretary of State, an upcoming Latin American tour that includes visits to Mexico and Ecuador. The trip seeks to strengthen U.S. partnerships in immigration control, security cooperation, and ideological alignment, particularly as China deepens its regional ties. The U.S. is pressing nations like Panama and Ecuador to distance themselves from China's Belt and Road Initiative, framing it as "predatory."

USAID, established in 1961 under President John F. Kennedy, has long been the flagship of U.S. development and humanitarian assistance abroad. Over the decades, it managed billions of dollars in programs ranging from food aid and public health to disaster response. Earlier this year, Rubio oversaw the elimination of roughly 83 percent of USAID's programs, cutting deeply into initiatives that had served vulnerable populations across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

Rubio's decision coincides with other controversial actions by the Trump administration. Today, President Trump invoked a rare "pocket rescission" to block $4.9 billion in foreign aid previously approved by Congress, further reducing funding allocated to both the State Department and USAID. The maneuver, seldom used and criticized for bypassing legislative approval, has provoked accusations of executive overreach from both parties.