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Food, Not Flags: Lara Trump and Rep. Brian Mast Call Out USAID’s Ideological Spending


Top Points

  • USAID Is Funding Ideological Programs Instead of Basic Aid:Lara Trump and Rep. Brian Mast raised concerns that U.S. foreign aid is being used for LGBTQI+ and gender identity initiatives abroad, instead of focusing on essential humanitarian needs like food, clean water, and medicine.

  • Congressional Republicans Are Pushing for a Funding Freeze and Audit: Rep. Mast supports a temporary freeze on USAID discretionary funding and a full audit to halt spending on non-essential or ideologically driven programs, while keeping critical aid like famine relief intact.

  • Structural Reform Is Needed to Restore Accountability: The segment advocates placing USAID under the State Department to bring aid programs under tighter oversight and ensure they serve U.S. interests, not political agendas.


Full Report:

On a recent episode of My View with Lara Trump, host Lara Trump sat down with Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, to address USAID’s growing criticism for diverting funds from core humanitarian aid to ideological initiatives, particularly LGBTQI+ advocacy programs abroad. The conversation highlighted concerns from conservatives that U.S. foreign aid is being misused to promote social agendas rather than deliver essential resources like food, clean water, and medicine.


Rep. Mast outlined ongoing committee investigations revealing that USAID has prioritized millions in funding toward programs centered on gender identity and LGBTQI+ outreach in countries facing acute humanitarian crises. These expenditures, according to Mast, have included support for gender curriculum development, identity-based hiring projects, and community-building efforts unrelated to emergency assistance or economic development.


The discussion framed USAID’s current trajectory as a departure from its original mission. Rather than focusing on life-saving aid, the agency has shifted toward programming that aligns with progressive social values, often at the expense of delivering food or responding to public health needs in impoverished regions. Both Mast and Trump characterized this shift as a misuse of taxpayer dollars and a failure of federal oversight.


In response, Mast confirmed that the House Foreign Affairs Committee is backing a temporary freeze on USAID discretionary spending until a comprehensive audit is completed. This pause does not apply to emergency relief programs, including famine response and disease prevention, but is intended to halt funding for projects lacking measurable humanitarian impact. The aim is to reallocate resources toward essentials and eliminate ideological or non-critical expenditures.


Mast also reaffirmed support for structural reforms, including a proposal to place USAID directly under the authority of the U.S. State Department. He argued that such a reorganization would bring aid programs into better alignment with national interests, strengthen accountability, and prevent further ideological mission creep within development policy.


Lara Trump emphasized the importance of educating the public about how foreign aid dollars are being used. The segment framed the issue as one of restoring fiscal discipline and common sense to an aid apparatus that has strayed from its core purpose. The message to viewers was clear: American generosity should not be exploited to fund social engineering abroad.


The conversation reflects a broader conservative push to reshape foreign aid policy, with renewed focus on transparency, strategic alignment, and prioritization of basic human needs over ideological exports. As Congress prepares for 2026 budget negotiations, the debate over USAID’s mission and funding structure is expected to become a central point of contention.


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