- Nearly all U.S. Agency for International Development workers are being pulled off of the job worldwide. The move comes as the Trump administration aims to end USAID.
- Critics warned the decision by the Trump administration could hurt U.S. influence globally.
- Democrats contended that Trump doesn’t have the authority to shutter the agency.
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Most U.S. Agency for International Development employees are being pulled from their jobs worldwide. The Trump administration announced the move Tuesday, Feb. 4, as it aims to end USAID.
USAID has operated for more than 60 years, with a mission to fight starvation and disease and fund education globally.
How did USAID employees find out?
The administration emailed USAID workers to inform them of their status and told direct USAID hires they had 30 days to return home unless considered essential. The memo also stated that all contractors deemed nonessential would be fired.
According to the U.S. Congressional Research Service, the agency has more than 10,000 employees. Around two-thirds of them work overseas.
What is the bigger picture?
Trump’s move comes as questions swirl about the agency’s ultimate fate. The Trump administration appointed the U.S. secretary of state in charge, placed senior USAID officials on leave and ordered employees to work remotely. Over the past several weeks, the government has restricted access to USAID’s headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Supporters of shuttering the agency claimed the USAID leaders poorly managed the agency and were inefficient.
Elon Musk, Trump’s head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), described the agency as a “ball of worms” and said Tuesday it was “beyond repair.”
Why are some people criticizing the move?
Critics claim that ending USAID would weaken U.S. influence abroad and allow adversaries like China and Russia to provide aid and expand their influence.
Democratic lawmakers and U.S. diplomatic researchers also argued the Trump administration does not have the authority to shut down USAID.
They contended that USAID is protected by legislation as an independent agency and needs congressional approval to be dismantled.
What has the order done to USAID services?
Health programs credited with helping end polio and smallpox epidemics and an effort to fight HIV/Aids in Africa that reportedly saved more than 20 million lives, as well as food and medication deliveries, have been brought to a halt as a result of Trump’s recent order.
