The Trump administration has recently taken steps to dismantle USAID, including placing over 50 senior officials on leave|USAID|CC BY-SA 2.0
Over the weekend, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) website went offline, and approximately 2,000 staff members lost access to their email accounts.
The disruption occurred after personnel from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) accessed USAID’s domain and restricted employee access.
The Trump administration has recently taken steps to dismantle USAID, including placing over 50 senior officials on leave and considering integrating the agency into the State Department.
These actions align with President Donald Trump’s directive to freeze nearly all US foreign aid, prompting concerns about the future of American international assistance programs.
Democrats argue that the US president does not have the legal authority to eliminate a congressionally funded independent agency like USAID.