What To Know About Trump’s USAID Changes—After Elon Musk’s DOGE Accesses Classified Info Two security officers for the U.S. Agency for International Development were placed on leave after blocking officials with the “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) from gaining access to classified information, multiple outlets reported, the latest issue at the foreign aid agency as the Trump administration reportedly tries to shutter it. Officials with DOGE, the new group run by billionaire Elon Musk, tried to physically enter USAID’s offices and access materials there including classified information, CNN first reported Sunday, and the two senior security officials who tried to stop them from doing so were placed on leave—with the Associated Press reporting the DOGE officials did ultimately get access to the classified materials, which they didn’t have the appropriate security clearance to access. Musk has repeatedly attacked USAID on X, formerly known as Twitter, saying Sunday in response to the CNN report, “USAID is a criminal organization. Time for it to die.” (There is no evidence of any criminal activity by USAID.) USAID was established in 1961 and has long been the primary federal agency for providing foreign aid, but multiple reports suggest President Donald Trump is now trying to shut down the agency as an independent entity and move its operations to be under the State Department. NBC News reported signs outside the agency’s building were removed Friday, with USAID’s website then going offline Saturday amid the reports and the agency’s account on X disappearing Sunday. Hundreds of USAID employees have been fired or furloughed, according to multiple reports, and the agency’s foreign aid work has already been suspended since Trump ordered a freeze on most foreign aid last week. The White House has not yet responded to a request for comment on the reports about DOGE seeking classified information, and USAID could not be reached for comment, with CNN reporting its public affairs team “was put on leave and locked out of their systems.” What To Watch For A formal Trump executive order on moving USAID to the State Department could come as soon as early this week, according to The Wall Street Journal. What Is Usaid? USAID provides humanitarian relief to foreign countries and assistance for issues like poverty and disease, as well as provides strategic assistance for foreign conflicts and supports developing countries’ economic growth, according to the Congressional Research Service. The agency employed more than 10,000 people prior to its recent reported cuts and provided more than $43 billion in assistance in fiscal year 2023 to more than 130 countries. Ukraine was the biggest recipient of USAID funding in FY2023, with the Congressional Research Service noting Congress has approved more than $46 billion in emergency funding to Ukraine, mostly through USAID, since its war with Russia began in February 2022. What Impact Would Shutting Down Usaid Have? Humanitarian groups have warned any move to dismantle USAID would carry dire consequences for the countries it supports, with Oxfam arguing, “Dismantling USAID would be a callous, destructive political power play that would have deadly consequences for millions of people living in dire humanitarian emergencies and extreme poverty.” While moving USAID’s work to the State Department could continue its aid to some extent, Oxfam argued dismantling the agency would be “recklessly throwing away USAID’s critical experience and strategic focus” on providing aid, and the organization “would expect to see less impact and less accountability to the American people.” Amnesty International executive director Paul O’Brien similarly said getting rid of the agency would “put the rights of millions of people around the world at greater risk as a result,” arguing foreign governments worldwide are “better equipped to meet their human rights obligations because of the technical and financial resources USAID provides.” Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., a sharp Trump critic, argued on X that in addition to decimating foreign aid for issues like feeding malnourished children, anti-terrorism programs and public health, the move would also bolster China, as foreign countries now stripped of U.S. aid may turn to China for assistance and “cut more deals with” the country’s government, giving Beijing more power. Contra The State Department issued a waiver Thursday for some forms of emergency humanitarian aid amid the Trump administration’s broader foreign aid freeze, saying it “applies to core life-saving medicine, medical services, food, shelter, and subsistence assistance, as well as supplies and reasonable administrative costs as necessary to deliver such assistance.” Humanitarian organizations said they were still trying to figure out what aid would fall within the waiver’s scope, The Washington Post reported Thursday, also noting many organizations had already terminated employees by the time the waiver was issued. Is Trump Shuttering Usaid Legal? Democrats have warned Trump’s apparent move to shut down USAID and move it under the State Department would be unlawful, as any shutdown of a federal agency would have to be approved by Congress. Trump “cannot unilaterally close a federal agency,” Murphy said Saturday, calling Trump’s attack on the agency “another assault on the Constitution,” while Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Friday the move would be “illegal and against our national interests.” Democratic lawmakers who serve as the ranking members on committees concerning foreign relations and national security sent a letter to USAID Acting Administrator Jason Gray on Friday expressing concerns about Trump’s apparent moves to hamstring the agency, which noted the agency is, “by statute, an independent establishment outside of the State Department.” “Any proposal to modify that structure would require an Act of Congress,” the lawmakers argued. It still remains to be seen if Democrats or humanitarian groups will file a lawsuit should Trump try to unilaterally shutter USAID, and if they would prevail in court given the Supreme Court’s 6-3 conservative tilt. Can The State Department Do Usaid’s Work? Former USAID officials cited by CNN disagreed with the Trump administration’s reported decision to move USAID’s work to the State Department, which is more focused on foreign relations than humanitarian assistance. The State Department doesn’t “have the capacity, the expertise, the training to do that kind of work,” one former senior USAID official told CNN, arguing USAID’s work “is a completely separate line of effort that is undertaken on the ground.” USAID is the only government agency working in foreign countries “that has been able to get out beyond the wire and actually have a deeper understanding of the places in which we work,” the anonymous official added, arguing that without it, the U.S. is “basically going to be punching with one arm behind our back” in terms of foreign policy. Was The U.s. Spending Millions On Condoms In Gaza? The Trump administration has partially defended its move to halt foreign aid by claiming the Biden administration was wasting federal funds by spending $50 million on “condoms in Gaza,” which White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said was a “preposterous waste of taxpayer money.” There is no evidence suggesting that expenditure actually happened, however, the Post reports, noting that while the Biden-era State Department signed a $50 million deal for healthcare in Gaza, that did not include supplying any condoms. Key Background Trump’s reported efforts to shut down USAID come as his administration, with the help of Musk and DOGE, has broadly vowed to cut government spending and make significant moves to put federal agencies’ work more in line with his ideological beliefs. In addition to freezing foreign aid, the government also issued a memo halting almost all federal grant spending—which it later walked back before the memo was blocked in court—and has offered buyouts to millions of government employees. Trump has also pushed an “America First” foreign policy that’s been largely critical of using U.S. resources to help out other countries, and withdrew the U.S. from the World Health Organization and the Paris Climate Agreement on the first day of his presidency. Sunday’s reports of DOGE officials seeking access to USAID’s information comes after multiple outlets reported Saturday that Musk allies now have access to the Treasury Department’s payment systems, which The New York Times reports have traditionally been “closely held” because they include “sensitive personal information” about Americans who receive federal money through programs like Social Security or tax refunds. The Times reports civil servant David Lebryk was placed on leave and “suddenly retired,” which multiple outlets reported came after he initially denied Musk’s allies access to the system.
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What To Know About Trump’s USAID Changes—After Elon Musk’s DOGE Accesses Classified Info

Two security officers for the U.S. Agency for International Development were placed on leave after blocking officials with the “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) from gaining access to classified information, multiple outlets reported, the latest issue at the foreign aid agency as the Trump administration reportedly tries to shutter it.

Officials with DOGE, the new group run by billionaire Elon Musk, tried to physically enter USAID’s offices and access materials there including classified information, CNN first reported Sunday, and the two senior security officials who tried to stop them from doing so were placed on leave—with the Associated Press reporting the DOGE officials did ultimately get access to the classified materials, which they didn’t have the appropriate security clearance to access.

Musk has repeatedly attacked USAID on X, formerly known as Twitter, saying Sunday in response to the CNN report, “USAID is a criminal organization. Time for it to die.” (There is no evidence of any criminal activity by USAID.)

USAID was established in 1961 and has long been the primary federal agency for providing foreign aid, but multiple reports suggest President Donald Trump is now trying to shut down the agency as an independent entity and move its operations to be under the State Department.

NBC News reported signs outside the agency’s building were removed Friday, with USAID’s website then going offline Saturday amid the reports and the agency’s account on X disappearing Sunday.

Hundreds of USAID employees have been fired or furloughed, according to multiple reports, and the agency’s foreign aid work has already been suspended since Trump ordered a freeze on most foreign aid last week.

The White House has not yet responded to a request for comment on the reports about DOGE seeking classified information, and USAID could not be reached for comment, with CNN reporting its public affairs team “was put on leave and locked out of their systems.”

What To Watch For

A formal Trump executive order on moving USAID to the State Department could come as soon as early this week, according to The Wall Street Journal.

What Is Usaid?

USAID provides humanitarian relief to foreign countries and assistance for issues like poverty and disease, as well as provides strategic assistance for foreign conflicts and supports developing countries’ economic growth, according to the Congressional Research Service. The agency employed more than 10,000 people prior to its recent reported cuts and provided more than $43 billion in assistance in fiscal year 2023 to more than 130 countries. Ukraine was the biggest recipient of USAID funding in FY2023, with the Congressional Research Service noting Congress has approved more than $46 billion in emergency funding to Ukraine, mostly through USAID, since its war with Russia began in February 2022.

What Impact Would Shutting Down Usaid Have?

Humanitarian groups have warned any move to dismantle USAID would carry dire consequences for the countries it supports, with Oxfam arguing, “Dismantling USAID would be a callous, destructive political power play that would have deadly consequences for millions of people living in dire humanitarian emergencies and extreme poverty.” While moving USAID’s work to the State Department could continue its aid to some extent, Oxfam argued dismantling the agency would be “recklessly throwing away USAID’s critical experience and strategic focus” on providing aid, and the organization “would expect to see less impact and less accountability to the American people.” Amnesty International executive director Paul O’Brien similarly said getting rid of the agency would “put the rights of millions of people around the world at greater risk as a result,” arguing foreign governments worldwide are “better equipped to meet their human rights obligations because of the technical and financial resources USAID provides.” Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., a sharp Trump critic, argued on X that in addition to decimating foreign aid for issues like feeding malnourished children, anti-terrorism programs and public health, the move would also bolster China, as foreign countries now stripped of U.S. aid may turn to China for assistance and “cut more deals with” the country’s government, giving Beijing more power.

Contra

The State Department issued a waiver Thursday for some forms of emergency humanitarian aid amid the Trump administration’s broader foreign aid freeze, saying it “applies to core life-saving medicine, medical services, food, shelter, and subsistence assistance, as well as supplies and reasonable administrative costs as necessary to deliver such assistance.” Humanitarian organizations said they were still trying to figure out what aid would fall within the waiver’s scope, The Washington Post reported Thursday, also noting many organizations had already terminated employees by the time the waiver was issued.

Is Trump Shuttering Usaid Legal?

Democrats have warned Trump’s apparent move to shut down USAID and move it under the State Department would be unlawful, as any shutdown of a federal agency would have to be approved by Congress. Trump “cannot unilaterally close a federal agency,” Murphy said Saturday, calling Trump’s attack on the agency “another assault on the Constitution,” while Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Friday the move would be “illegal and against our national interests.” Democratic lawmakers who serve as the ranking members on committees concerning foreign relations and national security sent a letter to USAID Acting Administrator Jason Gray on Friday expressing concerns about Trump’s apparent moves to hamstring the agency, which noted the agency is, “by statute, an independent establishment outside of the State Department.” “Any proposal to modify that structure would require an Act of Congress,” the lawmakers argued. It still remains to be seen if Democrats or humanitarian groups will file a lawsuit should Trump try to unilaterally shutter USAID, and if they would prevail in court given the Supreme Court’s 6-3 conservative tilt.

Can The State Department Do Usaid’s Work?

Former USAID officials cited by CNN disagreed with the Trump administration’s reported decision to move USAID’s work to the State Department, which is more focused on foreign relations than humanitarian assistance. The State Department doesn’t “have the capacity, the expertise, the training to do that kind of work,” one former senior USAID official told CNN, arguing USAID’s work “is a completely separate line of effort that is undertaken on the ground.” USAID is the only government agency working in foreign countries “that has been able to get out beyond the wire and actually have a deeper understanding of the places in which we work,” the anonymous official added, arguing that without it, the U.S. is “basically going to be punching with one arm behind our back” in terms of foreign policy.

Was The U.s. Spending Millions On Condoms In Gaza?

The Trump administration has partially defended its move to halt foreign aid by claiming the Biden administration was wasting federal funds by spending $50 million on “condoms in Gaza,” which White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said was a “preposterous waste of taxpayer money.” There is no evidence suggesting that expenditure actually happened, however, the Post reports, noting that while the Biden-era State Department signed a $50 million deal for healthcare in Gaza, that did not include supplying any condoms.

Key Background

Trump’s reported efforts to shut down USAID come as his administration, with the help of Musk and DOGE, has broadly vowed to cut government spending and make significant moves to put federal agencies’ work more in line with his ideological beliefs. In addition to freezing foreign aid, the government also issued a memo halting almost all federal grant spending—which it later walked back before the memo was blocked in court—and has offered buyouts to millions of government employees. Trump has also pushed an “America First” foreign policy that’s been largely critical of using U.S. resources to help out other countries, and withdrew the U.S. from the World Health Organization and the Paris Climate Agreement on the first day of his presidency. Sunday’s reports of DOGE officials seeking access to USAID’s information comes after multiple outlets reported Saturday that Musk allies now have access to the Treasury Department’s payment systems, which The New York Times reports have traditionally been “closely held” because they include “sensitive personal information” about Americans who receive federal money through programs like Social Security or tax refunds. The Times reports civil servant David Lebryk was placed on leave and “suddenly retired,” which multiple outlets reported came after he initially denied Musk’s allies access to the system.