WASHINGTON 

A prominent former official within Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) who reportedly worked to dismantle the US foreign aid agency has been tapped to lead the State Department's international assistance efforts, the State Department confirmed Tuesday.

A spokesperson said on condition of anonymity that Jeremy Lewin is now serving as the agency's acting director of foreign assistance.

The decision to shift Lewin to the State Department comes as President Donald Trump continues his push to greatly reduce US foreign assistance programs, having already largely gutted the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Lewin was among the cadre of DOGE staffers who carried out the effort.

He is replacing Pete Marocco, who is largely credited with playing the leading role in USAID's elimination before he became the acting head of foreign assistance.

A Rolling Stone investigation into Lewin released earlier this month said 10 people who knew him described a history of violence and racist remarks.

"I have a vivid memory of him telling me that he believed non-white people were inherently of ‘lower value’ than white people," a former acquaintance, who described Lewin as a "blatantly racist," told the magazine.

"I thought he had no empathy. He was fashy, misogynistic, [and] really believed Western civilization was superior. I can see him enjoying taking away humanitarian programs in Africa. It’s frightening. It’s like letting Hannibal Lecter mind kids or something," another acquaintance said.