USAID Officially Shuts Down

Democrats have blasted the Trump administration's efforts to trim foreign aid programs, and many activists have protested the plans. Actress Charlize Theron lashed out at the administration on Monday.

"The world feels like it’s burning because it is," Theron said at the annual Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Program Block Party, according to Variety.

"Foreign aid cuts brought HIV and AIDS programs in my home country of South Africa to an absolute standstill," Theron said. "All of this is not just detrimental, it’s dangerous. People will lose their lives. Many have already, unfortunately, and at a frightening rate. It’s absolutely heartbreaking to see this kind of unnecessary suffering."

Theron also criticized recent immigration raids in Los Angeles and claimed that women and LGBTQ people are also under threat of "being erased."

"Here in Los Angeles, in the U.S. and across the globe, we are moving backwards fast. Immigration policy is destroying the lives of families, not criminals. Women’s rights are becoming less and less every day, queer and trans lives are increasingly being erased, and gender-based violence is on the rise. This isn’t just policy, it’s personal. F--- them," she said.

Theron emphasized, however, that there is hope in "standing up, organizing, protesting, voting and caring for each other, and refusing to accept that this is the new normal." She touted her charity as an example.