The Trump administration has said yes to the obliteration of nearly 500 metric tons of emergency food. This food has remained untouched since the USAID program ceased operations.
The stockpile is valued at a whopping $800,000,000, and could have sustained about 1.5 million children for a week. The disposal process involves incineration, and is expected to cost an additional $130k, the Atlantic reported.
The food is expected to expire now that the agency has shut down. The agency was supposed to distribute these supplies to underprivileged children in regions of Africa and the Middle East. The shutdown comes as the US State Department is planning to lay off 1,300 employees this week. The agency was previously accused of excessive spending, fraudulent conduct, and promoting progressive agendas while Elon Musk was at the helm of DOGE.
‘This is the very definition of waste and government abuse’
The Trump administration has come under fire for its latest decision, with Democratic Representative Adam Smith criticizing Trump for “waste and government abuse.” “The Trump administration is destroying 500 metric tons of emergency food-and making U.S. taxpayers foot the bill,” Smith wrote. “In the coming weeks, high-energy biscuits, enough to feed 1.5 million children, will be torched at a cost of $130,000. This comes after $800,000 in taxpayer funds were already spent to purchase the food. This is the very definition of waste and government abuse. We must restore critical foreign aid programs that save lives, rather than let vulnerable children starve while we burn the food that could have fed them.”
Many echoed Smith’s opinions in the comment section, with one user saying, “This food should have been sent out in February but being cruel is all the WH cares about.” “What’s wrong with this administration where they are determined to starve people, let people die of disease and under the hands of ruthless criminals? Christian nation? Anyone who supports this administration is definitely not a Christian!! Counterfeits heading to hell! Sad!” one user wrote, while another said, “Sad just sad”.
Insiders told The Atlantic that the biscuits set to expire and be incinerated are worth approximately $800,000. USAID procured these towards the end of President Joe Biden’s term, and were meant to feed malnourished children under five in zones that were hit by war and disaster.
USAID workers had reportedly warned the Trump administration to distribute the food to the kids before it spoiled, and officials had promised they would do so, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The outlet reported that more food may soon have to be thrown away, and that hundreds of thousands of “boxes of emergency food pastes, also already purchased, are currently collecting dust in American warehouses.”