The Trump administration cut the workforce at the U.S. International Development Agency to bone on Thursday, cutting down global staff at institutions suffering from between 10,000 and under 300.
The massive reduction reported by The New York Times and Reuters has led USAID to imagine all foreigners on its website, stating that “the mission-critical features, core leadership, and especially those deemed specially responsible.” We'll be coming one day after we announced that we will be staffing all of our staff. Designated Program for Late Friday Night Management Holidays.”
The USID, which was targeted by the Elon Musk-led Office of Government Efficiency (DOGE) as a prime example of taxpayer-funded waste, has included a total of 294 staff in Washington and its global outpost. It will only hold 12 employees and 8 employees of the Africa Department. According to the Asian station Reuters.
The remaining small groups of employees include individuals who specialize in health and humanitarian assistance. New York Times.
USAID officials were also notified on Thursday that around 800 awards and contracts managed through the agency have been terminated, the outlet reported.
The Trump administration hopes to integrate trimmed agencies with the State Department.
So on Monday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio was appointed acting director for USAID.
The State Department did not respond to the Post Office's request for comment.
Two-thirds of USAID's 10,000 employees worked outside the United States, according to Congressional Research Services (CRS).
The agency, created by former President John F. Kennedy in 1961, is the federal government's main agency of humanitarian assistance.
USAID had a budget of $43.4 billion in fiscal year 2023, spending most of its funds on foreign governance assistance ($16.8 billion), followed by humanitarian assistance ($10.5 billion), healthcare initiatives ($7 billion), and management efforts ($3.5 billion) and agriculture continues. Education and infrastructure projects ($3.1 billion), according to the CRS.
President Trump ordered a 90-day suspension of US foreign development assistance on the first day of his second term.
On Sunday night, the president accused USAID of “we're putting them out because it was run by a bunch of insanity.”
Meanwhile, Musk later said Trump had “consent” him at an event in X-space.
Billionaire Tesla and SpaceX CEOs further insisted that the agency is “over-repairs.”
The reduction in USAID staffing has resulted in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) taking leave to comply with Trump's executive orders on diversity, equity, inclusion and other presidential directives. I've checked.
“The career staff have decided which environmental justice employees have legal duties or core mission functions. As a result, 168 staff have taken administrative leave, which functions are the agency's functions. Because it is not related to legal duties or grant work,” an EPA spokesman told the post.
“The EPA is in the process of evaluating new structures and organizations to ensure that we meet our mission to protect human health and the environment for all Americans,” the official added.
