Who is Samantha Power? Meet the Biden-era USAID leader facing backlash amid Musk’s DOGE crackdown

The International Development Agency of the United States (USAID) has recently become the target of Elon Musk efforts to reduce government waste and consumption, bringing increased supervision in the Samantha Power record, the agency administrator throughout the Bidan administration administration.

Power, who was previously an ambassador of the United States in the United Nations from 2013 to 2017 in Obama’s administration after serving at his national security council, took the reins of USAIDs early days of the Biden administration and was tasked billion dollars scheduled for foreign aid.

“One of the most important challenges facing our nation is the renewal and strengthening of American global leadership as champion of democracy, human rights and dignity of all people,” said then -elected President Kamal Harris in a statement at the time of the appointment of power. “Few Americans are better equipped to help lead the job than Ambassador Samantha Power.”

The power was directly involved in the supervision of Obama’s administration in Trump’s presidential campaign for 2016 and sought to obtain the redital identity of Michael Flynn using a “clarification” request on at least seven occasions, Fox News Digital previously reportedDespite the testimony under the oath before the Intelligence Committee on the home that she “did not remember” that she had ever sent such a request to even once.

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Handcuffs Reported in 2017 This power was “revealing” so fast pace in the last months of Obama’s administration that average in 2016 was average more than one request for each working day, and even sought information in the days that led to President Trump’s inauguration, he said are more sources of close things.

The power of the USAID’s mandate was also not without controversy, not even from its own party, including the incident in which it was facing public rebellion from the current and former staff 2024. Because of her support to Israel.

Critics also appeared with her repeatedly meeting with influential liberal foundations as they served in their role on USAID, which Fox News Digital reported 2023They included at least twice the George Soros Foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation at least five times, and meetings with several other powerful groups such as Ford and Rockefeller Foundation.

Power fans say she has played a critical role in helping American aids, such as Ukraine and Gaza, along with helping alleviating humanitarian crises that have developed in places such as Haiti, Armenia and Sudan.

“The best testament of USAID’s contribution is a rush of propaganda supporting PRC and Russian who supported USAID and our work around the world,” ” The strength said In the release of an interview with Politico last month. “And it really has been picked up a lot in the last year and a half. We counted 81 malicious and false propaganda campaigns, really dedicated campaigns, aimed at defining a USAID of our reputation. So, we do something that gets on their nerves.”

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The power, who is married to former Obama administration official and Professor Cass Sunstein, added: “We are an agency that has thousands of people around the world representing the United States, and because it is in the interest of the US people to have health systems that have health systems who have health systems that have health systems that have health systems that have health systems that have health systems that are safer and can notice infectious diseases and solve them, change the regulations, so that US companies are easier to invest, but also show up and show The importance of investing in partnership – not investment in a way that only leaves countries obsessed with debt. “

USAID was increasingly questioned by Republicans for allegedly financing research relating to the Coronavirus at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China, as well as millions of assistance that support LGBT rights abroad and tens of millions of dollars for migrant crisis in other countries, such as nearly $ 45 million predicted For emergency food and economic support to Venezuelan migrants in Colombia.

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Democrats are opposed to playing a vital role in American interests in national security and say that it should remain independent. They point to the work that USAID did to counteract the Soviet influence during the Cold War, the sphere of influence that could remain concern in the midst of the Chinese belt and road initiative.

Technological billionaire and dogs Chairman Elon Musk was on the war page against USAID, which is an independent US agency founded under Kennedy’s Economic Aid Administration of Foreign Nations, because it leads to Doge’s mission to reduce government fats and pre -exaggerated in the federal level of levels.

Musk has only announced a sound message about Xu over the weekend that “in the process” in the “exclusion of USAID”.

“On Friday, February 7, 2025, at 23:59 (EST), all staff for directly rented USAIDs will be placed on administrative leave globally, with the exception of a particular staff responsible for critical functions, basic leadership and specially specific programs . “The USAID website currently says. “The basic staff is expected to continue working to inform the Agency’s lead by Thursday, February 6, at 3:00 pm (EST).”

A digital review of Fox News from the recent History of USAID shows that he has repeatedly been charged with financially poor management and corruption long before Trump’s second administration, with a consumption that has occurred under the Government Government, which will continue to be a focus of talks with the Republicans.

Senator Tom Cotton, R-ARK., Sent a letter to power in October 2024, sounding an alarm to “a probable abuse of more than $ 1 billion in American humanitarian aid sent to Gaza since October 2023,” Fox Digital reported on time.

Syrian citizen named Mahmoud Al Hafyan, 53, was charged in November 2024. For allegedly diverting more than $ 9 million humanitarian aid financed by the US terrorist group, including Front Al-Nusrah. Front al-Nusrah, also known as Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, is marked by a terrorist organization with al-Qaeda connections, according to a state department.

The Government Office for Responsibility published a report in 2023, revealing that both USAIDs and national health institutes directed taxpayers’ funds to US universities and non -profit organization before finding their way to the Chinese groups, including the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

Eight auditors and employees For the Office of General Inspector, USAID sounded an alarm at the 2014 Washington Post 2014 that the negative findings over the operation of the Agency had been removed from the final reports and audits.

During his first administration, Trump has repeatedly proposed to reduce the budget for a foreign assistance for USAIDs and State Department, including the proposing in his first year on the office to reduce budgets by 37%, which the Congress refused.

“With $ 20, a debt of debt, the Government must learn to tighten his belt,” Trump said in 2017 as he is advocating for a decrease.

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On Tuesday night, Power sat with the host with a late-night Stephen Colbert and defended USAID’s work and warned that he was excluded, claiming that children abroad were in line to treat tuberculosis to leave home as a result of Trump’s executive commands.

“The programs that have started, the people we depend on, in some cases, to save medicines, such as medicine, if you have HIV, which maintains you in life, literally” Top Colbert. “Or if you are in Sudan and you have a child who is spending because of the malnutrition, a paste miracle, a peanut paste that USAID provides returns that child from the edge of death. All these programs are closed.”

Democratic MPs participated in Gathering against Dogeo On Tuesday, outside the Ministry of Finance, claiming that the men’s procedures are unconstitutional and threat to democracy.

“My heart is with people on the street outside USAID, but my head tells me,” Man, Trump will be pleased to fight, “” Veterans strategist David Axelrod, who served with power in Obama’s administration, said this week. “When you talk about cuts, the first thing people say is: Reduce foreign help.”

Fox News Digital’s Caitlin McFall, Emma Colton and Gregg Re contributed to this report