This is the latest news about Trump Shut Down USAID. Following actions taken by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency to exert control over the foreign aid organization, the US Agency for International Development closed its headquarters to agency staff on Monday. The US foreign aid agency USAID is being shut down, according to an update released early Monday by billionaire Elon Musk, who is leading US President Donald Trump’s push to reduce the size of the federal government.
In a Monday social media talk on X, which he also owns, Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, talked about the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Musk is the head of a federal cost-cutting panel that Trump appointed. During the conversation, which featured Republican senators Joni Ernst and Mike Lee as well as former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, Musk announced that they were trying to close the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Musk asserts that the agency is irreparable, and President Trump agrees that its closure is necessary.
Meanwhile, Reuters obtained a copy of an email sent to USAID staff members instructing them to work remotely and not report to the agency’s headquarters in Washington on Monday. According to the note, “Further guidance will be forthcoming.” Two senior USAID security officials were fired by the Trump administration over the weekend for attempting to prevent DOGE representatives from entering restricted areas of the building, according to three sources cited by Reuters on Sunday.
Trump later said to reporters that USAID has “been run by a bunch of radical lunatics” and that “we’re getting them out, and then we’ll make a decision.” The US is the world’s largest single donor. In fiscal year 2023, the United States provided $72 billion in aid globally on issues ranging from HIV/AIDS treatment, energy security, access to clean water, anti-corruption efforts, and women’s health in conflict areas. In 2024, it contributed 42% of all humanitarian aid that the UN monitored.
On Saturday, the USAID website seemed to still be unavailable, and on Sunday, some users were unable to access it. There are more than 10,000 employees at USAID. As part of his “America First” policy, which is already having a profound impact on the world, Trump has ordered a global freeze on the majority of U.S. foreign aid. Programs that could be eliminated include field hospitals in Thai refugee camps, landmine clearance in conflict areas, and medications to treat millions of people afflicted with illnesses like HIV.
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A TRILLION OF DOLLARS
Regarding reducing US spending and fraud more generally, Musk predicted that the Trump administration could reduce the US deficit by $1 trillion in the upcoming year. For instance, he claimed that “professional foreign fraud rings” are stealing enormous sums of money by impersonating or fabricating digital U.S. citizens.
Musk did not provide any proof to back up his allegation of fraud or offer an explanation for how he arrived at the $1 trillion figure. The online chat coincides with worries about Musk’s access to the Treasury system, which was first made public by the New York Times. The The The Treasury system handles over $6 trillion in payments annually on behalf of federal agencies and holds the personal data of millions of Americans who receive government funds such as tax refunds and Social Security benefits.
Senate Finance Committee Democrat Peter Welch demanded explanations for why Musk was granted access to the payment system, which he claimed contained sensitive information belonging to taxpayers. In an emailed statement, Welch said, “It’s a gross abuse of power by an unelected bureaucrat, and it shows money can buy power in the Trump White House.”
Trump responded, “He’s a big cost-cutter,” when asked on Sunday if Musk was performing well. We occasionally disagree with it and refuse to follow his wishes. However, I believe he’s doing a fantastic job.
Many government systems have been accessed by or taken over by Musk’s team. According to two agency officials cited by Reuters on Friday, Musk’s aides in charge of the US government’s human resources agency have prevented career civil servants from accessing computer systems that hold the personal information of millions of federal employees.
Musk has acted quickly to appoint supporters to the Office of Personnel Management. On January 20, the day Trump took office, a group comprising Musk’s present and former workers took over OPM, the sources continued.
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