Pete Marocco, the former director of foreign assistance at the U.S. State Department, has left his position amid swirling speculation about the reasons for his departure. His departure follows the completion of Chao’s new “listening session” style approach, with nearly two dozen experts. They noted his work to push for strategic restructuring and reform throughout the department.
According to the sources, although Marocco professed a willingness to reform, he was likely rushed aside. In an internal email, he emphasized that he was brought to the State Department with a significant mission: to conduct a thorough review of every dollar spent on foreign assistance. The purpose of this review, therefore, is to cut through the fuzziness and locate inefficiencies, waste, and potential misuse of taxpayer dollars.
Marocco was instrumental in blowing up the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). This agency has long been a critical agency for both overseas development and humanitarian assistance. Foreign aid opponents hit hard Trump’s administration engaged in a concerted effort to reduce foreign aid. News reports suggest that the heads of USAID were sacked nearly as collateral damage to a blank check designed to cut federal spending. Marocco’s efforts helped shed light on what one senior administration official called “egregious abuses of taxpayer dollars.”
The Trump administration has instead tried to cast these cuts as a brave move to end wasteful spending. Yet critics have decried their systematic dismemberment of proven aid programs. Elon Musk’s initiative, referred to as the “department of government efficiency,” has contributed to reducing funding and dismissing contractors across federal agencies.
In a largely unanticipated turn, Trump’s administration has moved to reestablish at least six U.S. foreign aid programs. These programs train providers on the most efficient ways to provide emergency food assistance. This reinstatement highlights the unpredictable nature of the administration’s approach to foreign aid and underscores the rapid-fire cuts that characterized Marocco’s tenure.
“I am going to return to my post as the Director of Foreign Assistance to bring value back to the American people.” – Pete Marocco
On account of the challenges Marocco faced, the impact he made on the State Department did not go unnoticed by fellow colleagues. In their remarks, a senior administration official declared that Pete’s mission is essential. Please join us in celebrating this appointment by asking He will call for a complete accounting of each dollar of foreign assistance. He performed that historic undertaking and shone a light on taxpayer dollars’ abominable abuses.
As we peer into the future, we can start dreaming about what Marocco’s bright future projects will be. That same official continued, “I think we all expect great things are in store for Pete on his next mission.”