Trump fires USAID Inspector General after he blasted administration over its foreign aid freeze

Martin was reportedly notified of his firing in an email from the White House on Tuesday, according to the New York Post, but was not given a reason for his dismissal. The order was effective immediately.

Published: February 12, 2025 5:50pm

President Donald Trump on Wednesday fired U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Inspector General Paul Martin, after his office released a critical report of the Trump administration.

The termination comes as the agency faces heavy criticism for a series of issues, including for spending a massive amount of funding on leftist priorities like drag shows in the Middle East and Europe. 

Martin was reportedly notified of his firing in an email from the White House on Tuesday, according to the New York Post, but was not given a reason for his dismissal. The order was effective immediately.

The dismissal comes the day after his office released a report that criticized the new administration for freezing billions of dollars in foreign aid. The Inspector General's office claimed the administration's push had harmed its ability to oversee roughly $8.2 billion in unspent aid.

The Trump administration is also trying to reduce the agency by thousands of employees, and has placed them on administrative leave.

The firing also comes after Fox News reported that USAID spent thousands of dollars in the past to send American-born terrorist Anwar al-Awlaki to Colorado State University back in 1990. Al-Awlaki allegedly lied on his application by claiming that he was born in Yemen instead of New Mexico, in order to get federal funding for his tuition. 

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.

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