Pete Marocco, a top Trump administration official who spearheaded the dismantling of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), has left the State Department after less than three months in the role, US officials confirmed.
Marocco, who served as acting head of the foreign-assistance portfolio at State, oversaw the closure of USAID and pushed through the cancellation of 83% of U.S. foreign aid programmes.
His efforts were part of a broader strategy to consolidate aid management within the department under Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by billionaire Elon Musk.
A senior administration official praised Marocco’s work, describing it as a “historic task” to expose misused taxpayer dollars.
However, another official noted that Marocco’s departure was not voluntary and followed repeated clashes with Rubio and senior aides over the depth of aid cuts.
Marocco was informed of his dismissal following a meeting at the White House last week, sources said. He has not commented publicly on the matter.
Senator Brian Schatz, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee for Foreign Operations, criticised Marocco’s tenure, calling it “chaotic” and warned that lingering influence could still shape State’s aid posture.
The State Department is expected to submit a reorganisation blueprint to the Office of Management and Budget this week, detailing how USAID’s dissolved functions will be absorbed under new leadership. The remaining aid programmes are currently overseen by a DOGE appointee.
It remains unclear if Marocco will continue in another government role.
Secretary Rubio defended the aid overhaul last month, stating: “We are reorienting our foreign assistance programmes to align directly with what is best for the United States and our citizens.”
