By Humeyra Pamuk

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Trump administration appointed Jeremy Lewin, a member of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, as the acting head of foreign assistance at the State Department, according to a senior U.S. official and an internal email seen by Reuters.

A senior State Department official confirmed on Tuesday that Lewin, who was involved in dismantling the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is now serving as acting director of foreign assistance.

> “F folks — very much looking forward to working with you,” Lewin said in an internal email.

Lewin replaces Pete Marocco, an official known for dismantling USAID, which was once the country’s top humanitarian agency. The remnants of the agency will likely be integrated into the State Department.

He has been serving as USAID’s acting deputy administrator for over a month, though it remains unclear if he will handle both roles simultaneously.

This appointment occurs amid the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle USAID as part of a broader initiative to reduce federal spending, deemed wasteful by Trump and Musk.

Since taking office on January 20, the administration has canceled billions in foreign aid, claiming the initiatives did not align with Trump’s “America First” policy.

The overhaul of U.S. assistance has threatened the delivery of critical food and medical aid, creating chaos in global humanitarian efforts. In March, Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the administration had canceled over 80% of USAID programs. Recently, he announced the cancellation of an additional 139 grants worth $214 million.

Last week, the administration reversed course on six previously canceled foreign aid programs intended for emergency food assistance only shortly after termination. Lewin has expressed regret over the “back and forth” regarding decisions on these programs in an internal email.