The Trump administration has come under fire for authorizing the destruction of almost 500 metric tons of emergency food rations, purchased at the close of President Joe Biden’s presidency. The high-energy biscuits were intended to feed severely malnourished children aged under five in conflict and disaster zones throughout Africa and the Middle East.
Estimated at about $800 million, the unused food has been sitting in warehouses since the USAID program responsible for their distribution was canceled. With expiration dates fast approaching and no current operations to utilize them, the government has decided to burn the inventory, costing an extra $130,000 in disposal fees, The Atlantic said.
Democratic Rep. Adam Smith spoke out against the action, denouncing it as a blatant waste of public funds. The Trump administration is burning 500 metric tons of emergency food—and billing American taxpayers,” Smith said. “In coming weeks, high-energy biscuits sufficient to feed 1.5 million kids will be incinerated at a cost of $130,000. This follows after $800,000 in taxpayer dollars were used to buy the food. This is the definition of waste and abuse of government. We need to re-fund critical foreign aid programs that save lives, instead of allowing hungry children to starve while we burn the food that could have saved them.”
“Over the coming weeks, the food will be destroyed at a cost of $130,000 to American taxpayers (on top of the $800,000 used to purchase the biscuits)”
The Trump administration is destroying 500 metric tons of emergency food—and making U.S. taxpayers foot the bill. In the coming… https://t.co/yL5hkaq2Cv
— Rep. Adam Smith (@RepAdamSmith) July 15, 2025
Cyber responses were also in accordance with Smith’s indignation. One commenter said, “This food should have been distributed in February but caring is the last thing the WH cares about.” Another stated, “What is wrong with this administration where they are bent on starving people, making people die of disease and under the care of brutal criminals? Christian nation? Anyone who supports this administration is certainly not a Christian!! Fakes going to hell! Sad!” Others merely posted, “Sad just sad.”
As The Atlantic has quoted from sources, USAID employees had warned the administration repeatedly to give away the biscuits before they expired. In spite of those warnings and initial commitments, one from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the food remains unused.
To boot, insiders foretell that this is only the tip of the iceberg. Aside from the biscuits, the hundreds of thousands of boxes of emergency food paste already bought are also allegedly sitting idle in warehouses across America, destined to suffer a similar fate.
This choice comes as part of wider changes at the State Department, which will cut 1,300 staff this week. The disbanded aid program previously had come under criticism for overspending, fraud allegations, and being accused of promoting a progressive agenda, especially when Elon Musk was allegedly involved in the DOGE project.
