U.S. President Donald Trump has claimed that during Joe Biden’s administration, $29 million was allocated for an unknown company in Bangladesh. He made this statement at a press conference at the White House on Friday (February 21). The White House’s YouTube channel later released the video of his speech.
Trump stated that the Biden administration allocated nearly $29 million to strengthen Bangladesh’s political landscape. This money was intended for an unnamed organization with reportedly only two employees.
“Imagine, a check worth this amount of money was sent to an unknown company in Bangladesh, where maybe just two people work. And who sent it? The United States!” Trump remarked.
In an effort to curb government spending, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), established by Trump and managed by billionaire Elon Musk, recently announced the cancellation of billions of dollars in aid to multiple countries, including Bangladesh. Trump first addressed this issue at a conference in Miami on Wednesday. The funds were supposed to be distributed via USAID, a U.S. government foreign aid agency.
Mocking the recipients, Trump said, “I bet they’ve gotten quite wealthy. Hopefully, we’ll soon see them on the cover of a major business magazine for their exceptional fraud skills!”
On August 5, 2024, mass protests led to the end of former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s nearly 15-year rule. There have been allegations of U.S. deep state involvement in her removal, especially after former U.S. State Department official Mike Benz made several comments on the matter. However, in a recent meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Trump denied any U.S. deep state involvement in Bangladesh’s political shift.
During his speech, Trump also questioned the legitimacy of U.S. foreign aid allocations to other countries. According to DOGE, the canceled allocations included:
Mozambique: $10 million
Cambodia: $2.3 million
Serbia: $14 million
Moldova: $22 million
Nepal: $39 million
Mali: $14 million