Secretary Rubio Denies Child Deaths Under Trump Administration Cuts — The Evidence Tells a Different Story

Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently made a contentious claim during his testimony before Congress, asserting that the Trump administration’s dismantling of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) did not result in any fatalities.

Rubio emphatically stated, "No children are dying on my watch," and later expanded his statement to include adults, insisting, "No one has died because of U.S.A.I.D."

Such assertions starkly contradict multiple reports suggesting otherwise. The debate centers not on whether lives were lost, but on the scale—whether the toll reached thousands, tens of thousands, or more.

Representative Brad Sherman challenged Rubio's claims by referencing documented cases from international sources, including firsthand accounts and investigations indicating deaths linked to the suspension of American humanitarian aid.

Rubio dismissed these allegations as falsehoods, labeling them outright lies.

To clarify the reality, consider the case of Evan Anzoo, a five-year-old boy in South Sudan born with HIV.

As reported earlier from South Sudan, Evan was a child as precious as any other. His survival depended on antiretroviral medication provided through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a program initiated by President George W. Bush that has saved over 26 million lives worldwide. This treatment, costing less than 12 cents per day, kept Evan alive for five years and fostered significant goodwill towards the United States globally.