Trump appointee exits US foreign aid agency after four-month sprint: ‘Mission accomplished'

Dr Sohan Dasgupta appointed earlier this year as the political head of the Millennium Challenge Corporation MCC narrated Fox News Digital he is stepping down after a four-month sprint declaring his mission to preserve and reposition the U S agency as a strategic foreign guidelines tool as accomplished Created by Congress in MCC delivers five-year infrastructure and potency compacts to progressing nations that meet strict governance standards Unlike traditional aid its investments are structured to drive long-term economic improvement and open markets for U S companies Since its creation under President George W Bush MCC has often been grouped with other U S aid programs Career staff have long emphasized growth goals like poverty reduction guidance and infrastructure but unlike USAID MCC was established as a corporate body with a fiduciary duty to ensure effectiveness CDC OFFICIAL WHO BLASTED TRUMP S WEAK SCIENCE LED POLITICIZED BIDEN-ERA MONKEYPOX RESPONSEA White House official speaking on background to Fox News Digital argued the agency too often presented itself as aid rather than venture before President Donald Trump took office Dasgupta pushed staff to adopt a different lens pressing them to evaluate projects based on the return on funding for the United States the degree of strategic alignment with partner countries and whether MCC compacts could be used to strengthen U S leverage in negotiations A Center for Strategic and International Studies CSIS overview this spring argued that MCC is not a traditional aid agency but an assets tool uniquely suited for an America First agenda The authors warned shuttering it would hand China diplomatic and economic wins while leaving half-built projects abroad and noted Trump-era partner selections from Nepal to C te d Ivoire to the Pacific Islands were strategically chosen to counter Chinese influence The United States and the world are safer stronger and more prosperous with the MCC model than without it the statement concluded OBAMA OFFICIAL SAYS DEMOCRATIC PARTY 'AFRAID OF ITS OWN FUTURE WANTS IT TO EMBRACE MAMDANI STRATEGYMCC s current portfolio under Trump includes certain of its largest-ever compacts a million deal in Nepal funding nearly miles of transmission lines a million compact in Sierra Leone expanding electricity access and a million plan in Kosovo focused on grid-scale battery storage Other investments include million in C te d Ivoire million in Mozambique and a water compact in Mongolia Dasgupta communicated Fox News Digital that his role was to press MCC staff to think in terms of U S national guard and economic benefits Reforming MCC into a vital national assurance and foreign procedures asset was how he described his mission accomplished moment A May email from the White House Liaison to MCC staff obtained by Fox News Digital shows Dasgupta was appointed as a Schedule C Senior Advisor assuming political leadership for the agency MCC s Fiscal Year Candidate Country Document issued this month lists Kosovo Nepal Sierra Leone C te d Ivoire Mozambique Mongolia Solomon Islands Fiji and Tonga among its eligible partner nations Operation has several forms My goal was to carry out particular projects and missions then make way for others Dasgupta mentioned On China he added Critical minerals and rare earth elements are a vital part of American strength MCC has really understood that Kosovo s ambassador to the U S Ilir Dugolli praised Dasgupta s responsiveness We worked closely soon after he arrived at MCC I respect him enormously for the way he handled his portfolio and how professional he was Dugolli described Fox News Digital On potency measure Dugolli noted Kosovo fully aligns with U S foreign procedures Batteries are extremely pivotal especially after last year s terrorist attack on the Iber-Lepenc canal The compact is the single bulk critical commitment for our country s ability safeguard and economic resilience Dasgupta s departure also comes as the Trump administration pursues cuts to traditional U S foreign aid programs and seeks to reframe America s global engagement under its America First initiative While agencies such as USAID have faced reductions and restructuring Dasgupta argues the MCC has been preserved as a leaner investment-driven tool aligned with the administration s emphasis on strategic deals and competition with China Analysts estimate China controls about of global rare earth mining and nearly of processing quota according to the Oxford Institute for Ability Studies Between and China imposed export restrictions on strategic minerals according to CSIS Dasgupta argues MCC s work in allied nations can help diversify supply chains and strengthen resilience though MCC has not publicly described critical minerals as a formal focus of its work We want independence in every sense of the word these are the premises and predicates of American strength Dasgupta stated CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Quick wins like Kosovo s battery project and Nepal s power lines Dasgupta noted show how American aid can advance prosperity abroad while reinforcing safety at home With his departure MCC continues compacts in dozens of countries worldwide The MCC did not forthwith respond to Fox News Digital s request for comment