NSA’s Waltz on the USAID: ‘We Need to Realign Their Mission and Reunite It with the President’s Foreign Policy Vision’

RUSH TRANSCRIPT WELKER Joining ░░░░░░░░ now is national security ░░░░░░░░ Mike waltz Welcome to ░░░░░░░░ the Press WALTZ Thank ░░░░░░░░ Good to be with ░░░░░░░░ WELKER It s great ░░░░░░░░ have you Let s ░░░░░░░░ with President Trump s ░░░░░░░░ to scale back USAID ░░░░░░░░ stepping back from countries ░░░░░░░░ have long relied on ░░░░░░░░ support The former administrator ░░░░░░░░ USAID under George W ░░░░░░░░ called it a huge ░░░░░░░░ adding quote this assistance ░░░░░░░░ one of the most ░░░░░░░░ tools Washington has to ░░░░░░░░ back against Chinese and ░░░░░░░░ influence and to prevent ░░░░░░░░ threats such as disease ░░░░░░░░ terrorism from reaching U ░░░░░░░░ soil Is America basically ░░░░░░░░ China and Russia an ░░░░░░░░ to expand their influence ░░░░░░░░ the world stage WALTZ ░░░░░░░░ Absolutely not and in ░░░░░░░░ kristen excuse me kristen ░░░░░░░░ is exactly what President ░░░░░░░░ secretary of state Rubio ░░░░░░░░ Musk myself and many ░░░░░░░░ who have worked with ░░░░░░░░ are talking about All ░░░░░░░░ often these missions and ░░░░░░░░ programs number one are ░░░░░░░░ in line with strategic ░░░░░░░░ S Interest like pushing ░░░░░░░░ on China They re ░░░░░░░░ all kinds of other ░░░░░░░░ that frankly aren t ░░░░░░░░ line with strategic interests ░░░░░░░░ the president s vision ░░░░░░░░ one Number two often ░░░░░░░░ too often only cents ░░░░░░░░ the dollar actually makes ░░░░░░░░ to people in need ░░░░░░░░ the big contractors the ░░░░░░░░ the local contractors The ░░░░░░░░ aren t being used ░░░░░░░░ We need to take ░░░░░░░░ hard look at it ░░░░░░░░ need to move quickly ░░░░░░░░ that s exactly what ░░░░░░░░ being done and personally ░░░░░░░░ can tell you I ░░░░░░░░ worked out in the ░░░░░░░░ East We ve seen ░░░░░░░░ big USAID and there ░░░░░░░░ a mullah preaching American ░░░░░░░░ and the USAID in ░░░░░░░░ told me we re ░░░░░░░░ handing out food That ░░░░░░░░ our food to just ░░░░░░░░ humanitarian No we need ░░░░░░░░ realign their mission and ░░░░░░░░ it with the president ░░░░░░░░ foreign policy vision.”