USAID Employees told to ‘Remain Home’, Musk Declares it a ‘Criminal Organization’

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Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

On Monday morning, employees of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) were instructed to remain at home and not report to the agency’s Washington headquarters. This directive came after Elon Musk announced that President Donald Trump had agreed with him to shut down the agency, according to Associated Press reports.

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According to AP, USAID staff members stated that more than 600 employees found themselves locked out of the agency’s computer systems overnight. Meanwhile, those who retained access received emails stating that “at the direction of Agency leadership,” the headquarters would be closed to personnel on Monday, Feb. 3.

The agency’s closure followed Musk’s announcement early Monday that he had spoken with Trump about USAID’s future, and the president had agreed that shutting it down was the best course of action. Musk is currently leading a civilian review of the federal government with Trump’s approval.

USAID, which operates humanitarian, development, and security initiatives across approximately 120 countries, has come under scrutiny from Musk, Trump, and some Republican lawmakers, who argue that the agency has deviated from its original mission.
The agency’s website disappeared without explanation on Saturday, making it one of the federal entities most impacted by the Trump administration’s broader efforts to eliminate government waste.

On Sunday, Musk criticized USAID, labeling it a “criminal organization,” while Trump described it as being “run by radical lunatics” and suggested that its future was under serious review.

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El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele weighed in on the issue, offering his perspective on international aid programs. He stated on social media that many governments are hesitant to accept USAID funding because of concerns about where the money ultimately goes.

“While it is presented as support for development, democracy, and human rights, the majority of these funds are actually directed toward opposition groups, politically motivated NGOs, and movements that seek to destabilize governments,” Bukele said.

He further claimed that, at best, only around 10 percent of USAID funding reaches genuine projects that assist people in need, while the remainder is used to finance protests and promote dissent against governments that resist a so-called globalist agenda.

Upon taking office on Jan. 20, Trump enacted an unprecedented 90-day freeze on foreign aid.

Although USAID’s budget is determined by Congress, it had an allocated budget of approximately $40 billion for the 2023 fiscal year, according to a recent Congressional Research Service report.

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