White House defends foreign aid cuts, says Americans want their tax dollars going to ‘good uses’

In a press briefing, Leavitt commented on the administration’s efforts to cut federal aid by highlighting some of the most outrageous examples of wasteful spending. These included foreign aid expenditures such as funding for "sex changes in Guatemala," "tourism in Egypt," and a Sesame Street program in Iraq.

“Democrats are outraged that the American people want their taxpayers [sic] going to good uses, not stuff like this, but then they’re very quiet about the fact that there are still North Carolinians and people in California who have lost everything and in the last four years the federal government did nothing to help them,” Leavitt said.

“This president will continue to put Americans first and I think the successes of this week so far speak to that,” she added.

The remarks follow President Trump’s recent announcement of a 90-day freeze on foreign aid. The administration says the pause is necessary to review and eliminate spending deemed wasteful or contrary to the US’s interests.

Additionally, all overseas missions for the US Agency for International Development (USAID) have been ordered to shut down, with nearly all staff being placed on leave. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been appointed as acting administrator of USAID as it undergoes a merger with the State Department.

USAID, which provides billions in foreign assistance, issued a statement on its website confirming the changes, saying that on February 7 "all USAID direct hire personnel will be placed on administrative leave globally, with the exception of designated personnel responsible for mission-critical functions, core leadership and specially designated programs."