He sued to block a Biden vaccine mandate. Now he’s helping dismantle USAID.

Peter Marocco , a former USAID political appointee, is now serving as USAID 's deputy administrator and director of foreign assistance in the State Department .

Another right-wing activist has been selected to play a key role in the dissolution of USAID .

Marcus Thornton has been better known as the founder and president of Feds for Freedom .

Thornton led a lawsuit against the vaccine mandate for federal workers in 2021 .

Thornton is a former USAID director who led a workshop to encourage federal employees to submit their resumes.

His work has paired neatly with the Trump administration’s DOGE-driven efforts to radically transform both the State Department and the broader bureaucracy.

Thornton and the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025 produced a planning document for a new Trump administration that has served as a model for much of what's unfolded.