Obama’s Secret $1.2 Billion Scheme: How USAID Funded ‘Rent-a-Riots’ Abroad

Mike Benz, the founder of the Foundation for Freedom Online, recently appeared on The Joe Rogan Experience, one of the most popular podcasts in the world with over 19 million subscribers. During his conversation with Joe Rogan, Benz revealed shocking details about how the Obama administration allegedly misused taxpayer dollars through USAID (United States Agency for International Development).

According to Benz, instead of sending legitimate aid overseas, the Obama administration laundered funds to train and organize “rent-a-mobs” and destabilize foreign governments.

Benz explained, “This was a scandal during the Obama USAID era. We were running a number of rogue USAID operations in Cuba at the time. I’m simply showing the American people where your tax dollars are going and how these things are structured in order to systematically fool you and to fool Congress and to fool the White House.” He went on to describe how USAID pumped $1.2 billion into funding activist groups and civil society organizations, teaching them how to use social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter to coordinate protests and push political agendas. “Learn how to use hashtags, learn how to coordinate street protests so that everyone knows where to go, what street to show up on, what kind of slogans to know, to use in order to create the pro-democracy predicate for it,” Benz added.

One of the most alarming revelations was the creation of a Twitter clone called ZunZuneo, a platform designed to push propaganda in Cuba. Benz stated, “So what they did is they took the exact same thing as Twitter, same user interface, same like, and retweet button. ZunZuneo is the Cuban slang word for hummingbird. So just, it means it’s the Twitter bird, the whole thing. But the whole trick about it was you have to make it look like it’s coming from the Cubans if you’re going to do this operation.” The platform was launched in 2010, coinciding with the Arab Spring, and was funded by USAID money originally earmarked for Pakistan. “They were using USAID funds that were designated to Pakistan,” Benz revealed.

The operation involved contractors funded by USAID who used data for micro-targeting efforts, focusing on both anti- and pro-government users in Cuba. Initially, the platform featured non-controversial content like sports, music, and hurricane updates to build a user base. However, the ultimate goal was far more sinister. Benz explained, “Once they built up enough subscribers, they would begin to introduce political messages through social bots and encourage dissent in this astroturfing—the whole point is, once they hit a critical mass, they would create ‘Rent-a-Riots.’”

The funds for these operations were allegedly funneled through Cayman Islands bank accounts, with the money never reaching its intended destination in Pakistan. “You’re using Cayman Islands bank accounts. You’re saying it’s earmarked for Pakistani aid,” Benz said. Instead, the money was used to fund these covert operations aimed at destabilizing foreign governments.

Barack Obama was using USAID to pretend to send money to a country for “aid” and instead laundering it to the Cayman Islands

He would then use that money to fund and train “Rent-a-Riots” for protests to overthrow governments

Sound familiar?

Mike Benz on Joe Rogan: “A scandal… pic.twitter.com/EL2LLhDMNz

— Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) March 22, 2025

This shocking revelation underscores the deep-rooted corruption within the Democrat Party, particularly during the Obama administration. It also highlights why President Trump’s decision to shut down USAID was a necessary step to curb such abuses of power. The Democrat Party’s reliance on taxpayer dollars to fund their political agendas, both domestically and internationally, is a clear indication of their disregard for transparency and accountability.