Millennium Challenge Corporation Chief Steps Down After Less Than Two Years
WASHINGTON – The head of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC),Jonathan Nash,is departing his post after a tenure of just under two years,Fox News Digital has learned. nash, appointed in May 2023, will leave the agency at the end of February, according to sources familiar with the matter. His departure comes as the Biden administration navigates a shifting landscape of foreign aid priorities and increasing competition with China.Nash’s exit follows a period of internal debate over the agency’s direction, with some advocating for a greater focus on projects directly countering Chinese influence and bolstering critical mineral supply chains. While the MCC has continued compacts in dozens of countries worldwide, the agency has not publicly described critical minerals as a formal focus of its work.
The MCC, established in 2004, provides large-scale grants to developing nations that demonstrate a commitment to good governance, economic freedom, and investments in their people. Under Nash, the agency highlighted “quick wins” like a battery project in Kosovo and power line construction in Nepal, intended to demonstrate the tangible benefits of American aid.
“We want independence in every sense of the word … these are the premises and predicates of American strength,” Nash said in a recent interview, outlining his vision for the MCC.He argued the MCC has been preserved as a leaner, investment-driven tool aligned with the administration’s emphasis on strategic deals and competition with China, while agencies like USAID have faced restructuring.
Analysts estimate China controls approximately 70% of global rare earth mining and nearly 90% of processing capacity,according to the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies. Between 2023 and 2025,China imposed export restrictions on strategic minerals,according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
The MCC did not promptly respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
