The Trump family is back in the news! But this time it’s about First Lady Melania Trump and Ivanka Trump. Both the ladies of the family have played major roles in Donald Trump’s campaign, which made him win the elections to become the 47th President of the United States. Donald Trump won the majority of votes, with 312 electoral votes against Kamala Harris’ 226.
Aside from former President Grover Cleveland, who served as both the 22nd and 24th president, Trump is only the second individual in over 230 years of American governance to regain the presidency after losing re-election.
However, a lot is going on behind the tabloid-worthy headlines, perfect outfits, and more. In recent news, The Daily Mail reported that Melania and Ivanka have used thousands of dollars from USAID to fund personal projects during Donald Trump’s first term as the agency’s spending comes under scrutiny from the president. This week, Trump launched a fierce attack on USAID, criticizing its use of taxpayer dollars and alleging corruption in its spending.
However, despite his disapproval, the agency has held strong connections with both his wife and daughter for years by supporting their government-led projects. The initiative has reportedly funded Melania’s Be Best program and Ivanka’s Women Global Development and Prosperity initiative during the first Trump term.
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According to official records, Ivanka Trump utilized over $11,000 from the department in 2019 to acquire video recording and reproducing equipment. Documents reveal that $11,539 was allocated to her in November 2019 for software, CDs, tapes, and records.
The expenditure was approved by Jenifer Healy, who was serving as USAID’s deputy chief of staff at the time, along with the Administrator’s Office. Ivanka Trump, who served as an advisor in the Trump administration, has not commented on these claims.
The White House later released a list of USAID-funded foreign aid programs, which included $20 million for a Sesame Street project in Iraq, $1.5 million and $5.5 million for LGBTQ+ advocacy in Jamaica and Uganda, and $6 million to boost tourism in Egypt.
Additionally, the White House asserted that media outlet Politico had received USAID funds, though Politico has denied this assertion.
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Other USAID expenditures reportedly included $1.5 million to boost DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) initiatives in Serbian workplaces, $70,000 for a DEI-themed musical in Ireland, and $32,000 for a transgender comic book in Peru. Further reports pointed to $47,000 spent on a transgender opera in Colombia and $5 million allocated to EcoHealth Alliance, an NGO linked to funding bat virus research at the Wuhan lab.
Following Elon Musk’s statement that USAID is beyond repair and should be shut down, President Donald Trump echoed the sentiment, criticizing the agency as being run by a “bunch of lunatics.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt criticized the agency’s spending, stating, “I don’t know about you, but as an American taxpayer, I don’t want my dollars going toward this. And I know the American people don’t either. That’s exactly why Elon Musk has been tasked by President Trump to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse in the federal government.”
