USAID Faces Administrative Leave as Trump Administration Pushes for Restructuring

Nearly all of USAID's global workforce will be placed on administrative leave starting Friday, according to a notice on the aid agency's website Tuesday evening. This decision comes as President Donald Trump and several members of his administration have spoken of plans to review and potentially restructure or abolish parts of USAID.

Earlier on Sunday evening, Trump was asked by reporters about the state of USAID and commented, "Well it's been run by a bunch of radical lunatics, and we're getting them out...and then we'll make a decision."

"There are a lot of functions of USAID that are going to continue, that are going to be part of American foreign policy, but it has to be aligned with American foreign policy," Rubio told reporters Monday. "Every dollar we spend and every program we fund ... will be aligned with the national interest of the United States, and USAID has a history of sort of ignoring that and deciding that they're somehow a global charity."

USAID is the primary international humanitarian aid and development branch of the U.S. government, operated as an "independent establishment" under the "direct authority and policy guidance of the Secretary of State." Each administration has taken various approaches regarding its operations, according to the Congressional Research Service. Established in 1961, it provides assistance to countries and leads U.S. efforts against poverty, disease, and humanitarian needs. In fiscal year 2023, the agency had more than 10,000 employees, managed over $40 billion in appropriations, and provided assistance to about 130 countries.

Operatives from the Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk, were reportedly stopped by senior USAID security officials while trying to access materials at the aid agency's office, including classified information. According to CNN, two USAID officials were placed on administrative leave on Saturday, and the DOGE operatives ultimately accessed the classified materials despite lacking appropriate security clearances. Musk described USAID as a "criminal organization" without evidence and stated that it was "time for it to die."

Forbes reported on Monday that USAID spent up to $1 million on SpaceX's Starlink terminals over the last four years, according to federal contract records, and brought the satellite terminals to countries including Zimbabwe and South Africa. On April 5, 2022, USAID announced it delivered 5,000 Starlink satellite terminals to Ukraine through a "public-private partnership" with SpaceX. This was designed to allow officials and service providers to continue communicating amidst the war with Russia, which was impacting cellular communication infrastructure. On May 14, 2024, the USAID Office of Inspector General initiated an inspection of how Ukraine used the terminals and how USAID monitored their usage.

The USAID website went offline on Saturday afternoon amid the Trump administration's push to bring the aid agency under direct control of the State Department. Trump's recent actions, including an order to freeze most foreign aid, have triggered confusion and uncertainty within the agency as staffers fear an impending shutdown. Several agency signs were reportedly taken down from its Washington D.C. offices on Friday. Global aid groups have warned that shutting down USAID and halting U.S. foreign aid may have catastrophic humanitarian impacts across the world.