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The future of the US leading foreign agency is in doubt as its website was darkened, two senior security officials were put on rest and Trump’s ally Elon Musk labeled it “a criminal organization” to “die”.
Aid workers, diplomats and lawmakers have tried to understand a series of ominous developments at the US Agency for International Development. Its website is declining, some officials have lost access to the emails and have been laid at rest, and there are suggestions that it will be absorbed in the State Department.
“President Trump spent two weeks harassing and resting USAID employees, and now his team is trying to destroy the agency altogether,” Senator Democratic Chris Coons on Sunday said.
USAID is an independent agency with about 10,000 employees worldwide responsible for managing US foreign aid and development programs. Former President Joe Biden set up the USAID administrator at the National Security Council. Trump has not appointed a new USAID administrator.
The State Department did not immediately respond to a comment request on the status of USAID website or its plans for the agency. USAID administrator works under the authority of Secretary of State Marco Rubio but is an independent agency with his budget.
USAID did not respond immediately to a comment request.
Trump and his team have clarified that they want foreign aid to approximate his platform “America First”. USAID Inhalation in the State Department may mean fewer money available for USA’s long development programs. This would reduce US spending, but it could also undermine humanitarian efforts around the world and allow China to fill the gap.
Brian Mast, Republican chairman of the Chamber’s Foreign Affairs Committee, said in the face of the Nation’s CBS on Sunday that USAID “is likely to be more closely supported under Secretary Rubio”.
“I would be absolutely for, if this is the way we descend, removing USAID as a special department and seeing it.. Other parts of the United States. Because of its failure.”
Two senior security officials settled on Saturday’s break after they refused to allow officials from the Musk government’s efficiency department to enter agency systems, including classified information, according to a person acquainted with the case. CNN first reported the clash. Dozens of other USAID career officials have also been rejected since last week, with some accused of trying to disrupt Trump’s instructions for the agency.
Trump has made the musk of the musk responsible for cutting what both men say are vain costs of the US government.
Musk fired a series of criticism against USAID on Sunday, calling it “a criminal organization” and “bad”.
“The time for her to die,” he wrote.
Trump has already frozen billions of dollars in foreign aid. The immediate pause for all foreign aid projects has caused crises in humanitarian and developmental organizations involved in everything, from medical life rescue activities to anti-narcotic efforts to clear water programs.
Hundreds have been fired or wet and more cuts are expected in the coming weeks. The State Department last week created an exception to some humanitarian aid to save lives.
Current and previous officials said USAID’s possible absorption in the State Department could be a case of evidence for the Trump administration as it seeks to have executive power.
“This administration seems to be testing what they can leave in terms of unilateral action to reshape the functions and traces of the US government in ways for which Congress has not authorized, Congress has not appropriated for it, and Congress, in In fact, in fact, there are, in fact, the Congress banned them from making certain statutes, ”said Tess Bridgeman, who worked at the Office of the State Department and National Security Council during the Obama Administration .
