Trump Administration Orders Mass USAID Staff Leave, Sparking Abolishment Fears
The Trump administration has ordered a near-total leave of absence for directly-hired staff at the US Agency for International Development (USAID), fueling concerns about the agency’s future under the Republican president’s cost-cutting agenda, Al Jazeera reports.
USAID announced on Tuesday that the majority of its direct hire personnel would be placed on leave starting Friday, with only a select group of “designated personnel responsible for mission-critical functions, core leadership and specially designated programs” remaining active. The agency also stated that personnel stationed overseas would be recalled from their postings within 30 days.
Exceptions and extensions will be considered on a case-by-case basis, USAID said, for instances of “personal or family hardship, mobility or safety concerns, or other reasons.”
The move has sparked widespread alarm, with critics accusing the administration of preparing to dismantle the agency, which employs over 10,000 people globally, two-thirds of whom are based overseas, according to the Congressional Research Service.
The future of USAID has been under scrutiny as the Trump administration reportedly considers abolishing the agency and incorporating its functions into the US Department of State.
When questioned by a reporter on Tuesday about the possibility of winding down USAID, President Trump responded, “I think so.”
The upheaval comes as Secretary of State Marco Rubio is currently serving as acting administrator of USAID.
USAID, which disbursed over half of Washington’s $72 billion foreign aid budget in 2023, has become a prime target in a cost-cutting initiative reportedly spearheaded by tech billionaire Elon Musk and his self-proclaimed Department of Government Efficiency.
Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has publicly criticized USAID, labeling it a “criminal organisation” and a “viper’s nest of radical-left Marxists who hate America,” without providing substantiating evidence.
Critics have accused Trump and Musk of overstepping their authority, arguing that dissolving USAID through executive action is unconstitutional, citing that the agency’s status was established by an act of Congress.
