USAID job cut: The Trump administration is moving ahead with a plan to cut staffing worldwide for US Agency for International Development (USAID) projects by bringing it down to less than 300 staffers from the current figure of 8,000 direct hires and contractors. Notably, the current strength of the USAID staff, along with 5,000 locally hired international staffers abroad, run some life-saving programs that the administration says it intends to keep going for the time being. The Trump administration put forth a plan on Thursday that is aimed at undertaking a dramatic cut in the number of staff working in association with USAID.
Here's what USAID employees said
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, two current USAID employees and one former senior USAID official told The Associated Press of the administration's plan, presented to remaining senior officials of the agency on Thursday. Currently, the Trump administration has barred USAID staffers from talking to anyone outside their agency.
On his first day in office, US President Donald Trump implemented a 90-day freeze on foreign assistance. Four days later, Peter Marocco, a returning political appointee from Trump's first term, in a tougher-than-expected interpretation of Trump's order, revealed a move that shut down thousands of programmes around the world and forced furloughs and layoffs.
USAID officials put on leave, contractors laid off
Following the order, dozens of senior officials have been put on leave, thousands of contractors laid off, and employees were told Monday not to enter its Washington headquarters. And USAID's website and its account on the X platform have been taken down.
On Monday, Congressional Democrats were denied entry to the USAID building as federal law enforcement officers blocked the doors, restricting lawmakers' access to even the public lobby of the agency's headquarters. The move comes after Democrats attacked Elon Musk and members of his DOGE task force for demanding and gaining access to the internal government systems despite not being an official government agency.
(With inputs from AP)