Employees at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) were informed that the agency’s Washington, D.C., headquarters would be closed indefinitely. The notification, sent through USAID’s emergency system, instructed all D.C.-based employees to work remotely, except for those in essential on-site maintenance roles. No timeline for reopening was provided.
While the directive came from agency leadership, Elon Musk voiced support for the shutdown early Monday during a conversation on X Spaces, just hours before employees were notified. Musk, who leads the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), claimed he had reviewed USAID’s operations with President Trump and that they agreed on shutting it down. Throughout Monday, Musk continued his criticism on X, calling USAID “a criminal organization” and stating, “We spent the weekend feeding USAID into the wood chipper.”
President Trump also condemned the agency Sunday night, referring to its leadership as “radical lunatics.” His administration has already implemented a 90-day freeze on foreign aid.
USAID’s website has been taken offline, and its social media accounts have been deactivated. Meanwhile, retired and former employees are organizing a protest at the Capitol on Wednesday, according to a flyer circulating on personal social media accounts.
According to CBS News, USAID will be merged into the State Department with substantial workforce cuts but will still function as a humanitarian aid entity, three U.S. officials confirmed.
Officials in President Trump’s administration are expected to announce the restructuring in the coming days, though discussions over the extent of funding cuts remained ongoing as of Monday.
Sources also confirmed that Trump has appointed Secretary of State Marco Rubio as the acting administrator of USAID.
