*Vought early and often* Despite how relatively tiny these aid agencies are, the Trump administration has clearly set the U.S. African Development Foundation <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZKQHBstetkfgc9FfyeGazNY2D5dt-1OC7PWoHiESY1Qm9YoDmJgOWYF5j3C1CBX7V7nq0aI4=> and the Inter-American Foundation <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZKQHBspAH7m7JsCKXBUjXYOtc_uTeOJR40lUqfjDYLhdnqen0xJdNxmDjFzn9J-PoNoxEZuI=> in its crosshairs.
Yesterday, Trump nominated Project 2025 <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POkrZ218GcgnHX2hd2Dfy8uAL3qKlMogNvTJLKttxiOCX_ezTYoQG0JxvmdVDHNro7CDHm7t4-heBJAzZtfbjrBz1kFdcr8V5mf3zqscwbSwKwhvRbdLPZZL3ZpLAKc7uchuR3wwzptIbDghyDb6FcriX4m_VNolkWdSJPPrdYmFSerVbf45fP0MJm6vuGEXc7dUPj77OOnGAP5rpdyfn4ZLnlCtd-mnEKlKLJegPi05p/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZKQHBsgoAt720Y8rbf4YLAF74wsjXHs5kMA0yv5KZJIQGxwYednFaMHCLY7pz-B_zlH9BEPo=> architect *Russell Vought* — current head of the White House’s budget office — to the boards of both USADF and IAF <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POjbW6rOsZ37Uc-AtgCDeIvcdUV6s-ATHYY3Dg9v4kRtrriP6QLZmVsfu75Qeq_LNqDui4_E-gpDF7sDs7ScTX96iSukJAR1ka6BhRWE5BXHsFQbwy2EfaqfMo_hFW05-m_w46LP-uvDLvgrWAjhr_lgXjQhA67zBaEsl0NRGJazdM9VxE5GVwOHxQsvw1lNj8YWfMDyxdrV8bNm_weApLdWzEhSEutBb-7cEm2_G9C2-ymwhjysIPYc4EYS4Xd-Y6Q==/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZKQHBsgoAt720Y8rbf4YLAF74wsjXHs5kMA0yv5KZJIQGxwYednFaMHCLY7pz-B_zlH9BEPo=> . Vought’s name surfaced on the Senate’s calendar on Monday, along with the nominations of two other political appointees: *Kenneth Jackson*, who is now serving as USAID’s assistant to the administrator for management and resources; and *Laken Rapier*, who is noted as a “senior FO advisor,” or front office adviser, in internal USAID documents. For decades, IAF has provided small grants to civil society organizations in Latin America, while USADF has funded small- and medium-sized entrepreneurs, businesses, and groups in Africa. Trump appointed Peter Marocco, the acting deputy administrator of USAID, as president and board chair of both organizations. IAF has now virtually disappeared <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POjbW6rOsZ37Uc-AtgCDeIvf-tQPk7a-wKqtdlQNd9BinN9sYmZTLFs4Jvwc74MBr_31BrRPGC5jucVAHeouhlTifZHtWCvkOlqo-5rzv3_ecglWAcYQUTlMsV7NXZb9QyQUd_8MK-Kjue3W5-cpZZEsrOT16lgOdTcUs53ZGbjJ-6wWnsWAoNlx7udetpk5_AjwjdSylEm30bJdLg0zVybVkIhHQRCeVYEYYfDdpaNvNXagQu2XpN2N90DRDZgdFMw==/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZKQHBsgoAt720Y8rbf4YLAF74wsjXHs5kMA0yv5KZJIQGxwYednFaMHCLY7pz-B_zlH9BEPo=>, while USADF President and CEO Ward Brehm temporarily blocked Marocco’s appointment <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POkBQh3h_iqvAUwrNHENibFNcS2mF3YSQlTzCNcjXCQwF91tvBHE9gBhWeb4jJESFxT7zbW8W4D2cu9nuKe1zab4SexzjzH_1b8gSPHO6MrnloP5MEzzOBQK8lIAbPdKfm1-ZZZWXcTol82IqwNMOOI7GUqtXlmFyRMkIskjfv8Muv0XA9YNWUwHz4igL5IuTPzrLS3RX08aKTbLPnKG9Ab0zNEkeF1qoFzvgWsBf6220/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZKQHBsgoAt720Y8rbf4YLAF74wsjXHs5kMA0yv5KZJIQGxwYednFaMHCLY7pz-B_zlH9BEPo=> by taking him to court. The initial results of that court case weren’t promising <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POgHnU0AEd8M6o_YcsV5JNkuR2m5WNE8JO0_lHxSrTsWoP31x4I_JcK7fmvOEF-1gliDu_xb9M8tCzxXuLQWC-EdNbgj3MJOrYnN-jPX-1XnL-O5f1kt6iGuTW9kbQokmyayj5qRZg3Xi00VK0_IbUXEXsxHTf7TT9emek_ynHw3XHAJ7k0axcQPN8hx-h8eBpvwoXIW6908i8dv762DQb6-wc4eAbGoTNGTpifZCQsfL6O3NzEPvovYG4FwujYJWCQ==/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZKQHBsgoAt720Y8rbf4YLAF74wsjXHs5kMA0yv5KZJIQGxwYednFaMHCLY7pz-B_zlH9BEPo=>, though they weren’t definitive either, my colleague Elissa Miolene reports. While a federal judge yesterday cleared the way for the Trump administration to *shift the leadership of USADF and significantly downsize its operations*, Judge Richard Leon asked both legal teams to file a proposed briefing schedule for a preliminary injunction by March 12. It’s a route Brehm’s team had already said they would be taking. It’s not yet clear what will happen between now and a possible preliminary injunction, and whether Brehm will lead USADF until then. That being said, *the judge did not deny Brehm was the president*, and in his court order, Leon stated that he had found no existing statutes that would permit temporary appointments — such as Trump’s appointment of Marocco — to USADF’s board. *Read:* Trump taps Project 2025's Russell Vought to USADF, IAF boards <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POjbW6rOsZ37Uc-AtgCDeIvcdUV6s-ATHYY3Dg9v4kRtrriP6QLZmVsfu75Qeq_LNqDui4_E-gpDF7sDs7ScTX96iSukJAR1ka6BhRWE5BXHsFQbwy2EfaqfMo_hFW05-m_w46LP-uvDLvgrWAjhr_lgXjQhA67zBaEsl0NRGJazdM9VxE5GVwOHxQsvw1lNj8YWfMDyxdrV8bNm_weApLdWzEhSEutBb-7cEm2_G9C2-YgNRcuVWURBncy5d_zNC5Q==/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZKQHBsgoAt720Y8rbf4YLAF74wsjXHs5kMA0yv5KZJIQGxwYednFaMHCLY7pz-B_zlH9BEPo=> *Read more:* Judge rejects USADF chief’s bid to block Trump’s leadership shakeup <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POgHnU0AEd8M6o_YcsV5JNkuR2m5WNE8JO0_lHxSrTsWoP31x4I_JcK7fmvOEF-1gliDu_xb9M8tCzxXuLQWC-EdNbgj3MJOrYnN-jPX-1XnL-O5f1kt6iGuTW9kbQokmyayj5qRZg3Xi00VK0_IbUXEXsxHTf7TT9emek_ynHw3XHAJ7k0axcQPN8hx-h8eBpvwoXIW6908i8dv762DQb6-wc4eAbGoTNGTpifZCQsfL2s32YPKYOSQQyLTp-YobLA==/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZKQHBsgoAt720Y8rbf4YLAF74wsjXHs5kMA0yv5KZJIQGxwYednFaMHCLY7pz-B_zlH9BEPo=>
