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By: Fern Sidman
Former New York Governor George Pataki, who has been actively involved in humanitarian efforts in Ukraine, voiced his strong support for former President Donald Trump’s plan to overhaul the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), calling the agency a “far-left” institution plagued by mismanagement. In an interview with WABC 770 AM’s Cats Roundtable on Sunday, Pataki revealed his deep frustrations with USAID under the Biden administration, highlighting what he described as wasteful spending and a failure to effectively deliver aid. As The New York Post reported on Sunday, Pataki, 79, did not mince words in his critique, declaring, “Completely dismantle it, and start all over.”
Pataki, who established a relief fund to aid Ukrainians following Russia’s 2022 invasion, has visited Ukraine multiple times as part of his nonprofit work through the Pataki Leadership Center. However, as The New York Post report indicated, despite his hands-on humanitarian efforts—delivering thousands of heaters, generators, medical supplies, and constructing mobile housing for refugees—his organization received no support from USAID. “We’ve been there all these times delivering humanitarian aid. We’ve seen virtually nothing from USAID,” he said, pointing out the agency’s failure to coordinate with grassroots initiatives already working efficiently on the ground.
The former governor’s comments come in response to Trump’s sweeping effort to restructure USAID, a move that The New York Post reported has been temporarily blocked by a federal judge. The administration had planned to place thousands of USAID employees on paid leave, reducing the agency’s workforce to just a few hundred, in a bid to eliminate what Trump and his allies view as bureaucratic bloat and partisan activism. Pataki welcomed the move, stating, “This is long overdue.”
The push to dismantle and rebuild USAID has also been supported by billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk, whose Department of Government Efficiency team has been tasked with identifying wasteful spending in the agency’s more than $40 billion in funding programs. As The New York Post report highlighted, Musk’s review team gained access to USAID headquarters nearly two weeks ago, marking the beginning of an intensive audit aimed at uncovering financial mismanagement.
One of Pataki’s primary grievances, as outlined in The New York Post, is the agency’s allocation of funds toward what he considers unnecessary or ideological programs. He was particularly incensed by reports showing that USAID spent $1.5 million on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, including employment support for LGBT+ persons. “What they were doing under Biden was criminal,” Pataki said, arguing that such spending was prioritized over urgent humanitarian needs in war-torn regions such as Ukraine. “You have to clean house, and that’s what [Trump] is doing.”
Pataki’s dissatisfaction with USAID dates back to his personal experiences dealing with the agency while trying to provide direct aid to Ukrainians in crisis. The New York Post report recounted his frustration at being ignored by USAID officials despite the clear and immediate impact of his nonprofit’s efforts. “We tried to talk to them and say, ‘Look, we have an all-volunteer organization. We’re on the ground in Ukraine. We can deliver things efficiently. Right away,’” he said, lamenting that USAID showed no interest in working with them.
“They had no interest at all, because they go through their cronies — their Washington partners who they have given billions in grants to for years,” Pataki said, condemning the agency’s funding practices.
