White House spokesperson Caroline Levitt announced that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has allocated $1.5 million for initiatives promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in workplaces across Serbia.

She described this as an abuse of funds and a complete waste of taxpayer money.

As US President Donald Trump plans a reform of USAID, a spokesperson has highlighted some agency projects that the new administration deems “crazy and malicious,” according to Voice of America.

While she did not detail the specific programs in Serbia, she did mention the funding allocated for various initiatives in other countries.

“For decades, USAID has operated without accountability to taxpayers, distributing substantial amounts to bureaucrats for vague, often dubious projects, with little oversight,” the White House stated.

Other examples of what was characterized as “wasteful spending and abuse” included $70 million for electric vehicles in Vietnam, $47 million for gender reassignment and LGBT advocacy in Guatemala, $32 million for tourism in Egypt, funding for a DEI musical in Ireland, a transgender opera in Colombia, and a transgender comic in Peru.

“As an American taxpayer, I certainly don’t want my money going toward this nonsense, and I believe the American public feels the same,” Levitt told the media.

The White House emphasized that under President Trump, such misuse of funds would be addressed immediately.

President Donald Trump and his administration are considering merging USAID with the State Department to streamline operations and decrease staff size for improved efficiency, a senior White House official informed Reuters.

He added that the administration aims to soon update Congress about Trump’s plan for USAID reform, and that Elon Musk has been tasked with overseeing the project.

Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that he has been appointed as the acting director of USAID.

USAID is the largest single donor worldwide. In fiscal year 2023, the United States provided $72 billion in assistance globally, covering a range of issues including women’s health in conflict areas, access to clean water, HIV/AIDS treatment, energy security, and anti-corruption efforts.

It accounted for 42 percent of the total humanitarian assistance monitored by the United Nations in 2024.

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