The Trump administration intends to put nearly the entire Washington, D.C., staff of the United States Agency for International Development on leave, according to Politico.
The move is the latest strike the administration has launched against the agency, which is the main conduit through which humanitarian aid from the U.S. flows. Tech billionaire Elon Musk, who chairs the Department of Government Efficiency, has targeted USAID in particular for funding cuts as he seeks to reduce the size of the federal government in alignment with President Donald Trump's priorities.
Citing a person familiar with the matter, Politico reported that approximately 1,400 people will be notified Tuesday, in addition to the around 600 who were placed on leave Sunday night.
The person, who was granted anonymity by the outlet to speak freely, said that the action was approved by Secretary of State Marco Rubio's team and affects the majority of the D.C.-based staff, many of which are civil and foreign service officers.
Rubio was made acting administrator of USAID on Monday as the Trump administration explores folding the agency into the State Department for efficiency purposes, a senior White House official told Reuters.
According to a senior USAID official who spoke with Politico on condition of anonymity, the agency's human resources department said in a Tuesday morning meeting that it had withdrawn system access for more than 1,400 employees, which could be an indication that a larger number than previously announced are being put on leave.
Since Trump took office on Jan. 20 and ordered a sweeping review of almost all U.S. foreign aid, hundreds of USAID contractors have been laid off or furloughed. Stop-work orders issued by the State Department have thrown the aid industry into turmoil and created financial strain for contractors, who typically cover costs up front and then bill the federal government.
Newsmax has reached out to the State Department for comment, but did not receive an immediate response.
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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