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Trump considers merging USAID into US State Department Turmoil as Trump and Musk take aim at top US aid agency
(about 5 hours later)
A flag outside USAID headquarters in Washington, DC Demonstrators outside the US Agency for International Development (USAID) headquarters in Washington, DC on Monday
The Trump administration intends to merge the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) with the US Department of State after days of upheaval. The Trump administration reportedly intends to merge US government's main overseas aid agency with the state department, as workers were asked to stay out of its Washington headquarters on Monday.
Plans involved a significant reduction in USAID's funding and the workforce, CBS News, BBC's US partner, reports, but it would continue its function as an aid agency. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters he was now the acting head of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the agency that distributes billions of dollars in aid around the world.
The reported plan portends even more significant disruption for USAID, whose employees were told to stay home on Monday as Elon Musk claimed the agency would be shut down. Democratic lawmakers have called it an "illegal, unconstitutional" move that would hurt poor people abroad, harm national security and reduce US influence on the global stage.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters he would assume the role of the agency's acting director. President Donald Trump and one of his top advisers, billionaire Elon Musk, have been strongly critical of the agency.
Rubio said the agency needed to better align with the Trump administration's goals, describing it as "a completely unresponsive agency". Speaking to reporters at the White House on Monday, Trump alleged the agency run by "radical left lunatics" was getting away with "tremendous fraud", but did not provide names or details.
"It's supposed to respond to policy directives of the State Department, and it refuses to do so," he said. "So the functions of USAID, there are a lot of functions of USAID that are going to continue. They're going to be part of American foreign policy, but it has to be aligned with American foreign policy." USAID was established in 1961 by President John F Kennedy, and has around 10,000 employees and a budget of nearly $40bn (£32.25bn), out of a total of $68bn in US government foreign aid spending.
Calling USAID "a completely unresponsive agency", Secretary Rubio said that a lot of functions of the organisation "are going to continue".
"They're going to be part of American foreign policy, but it has to be aligned with American foreign policy," he told reporters in El Salvador.
It's not clear how the administration plans to implement such a change.It's not clear how the administration plans to implement such a change.
The announcement follows comments from Musk, who is not a government official, on Monday that the administration planned to shut the agency down. Over the weekend, two top security officials were placed on leave and the agency's website went dark. The announcement follows comments from Musk, who heads an unofficial cost-cutting agency, that the administration plans to shut USAID down. Over the weekend, two top security officials were placed on leave and the agency's website went dark.
But President Trump was less definitive about shuttering the agency, telling reporters on Sunday night that USAID was run by "a bunch of radical lunatics". Workers were told to stay home on Monday. Hundreds of employees were also locked out of their email, according to an internal message obtained by the BBC.
"We're getting them out," he said, "and then we'll make a decision."
What is USAID and why is Trump reportedly poised to close it?What is USAID and why is Trump reportedly poised to close it?
Over the last week, Musk railed against USAID as he sought to assert control over the agency. Musk is leading the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), a team that is not an official government but that Trump has given broad leeway to slash government spending. How a US freeze upended global aid in a matter of days
Musk does not have the authority to shut down a government department and the legality of such a move is in question. Outside USAID offices Democratic Party lawmakers said the moves were against the law and that shuttering the agency would harm national security.
On X, the social media platform that he owns, he called it "evil" and a "criminal organisation". In a live stream on X early Monday, he told followers, "You've got to basically get rid of the whole thing. It's beyond repair. ... We're shutting it down." "It's not only a gift to our adversaries... it is plain illegal," said Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland.
Staffers who work at the agency's Washington DC headquarters were told to stay home on Monday. Hundreds of employees were also locked out of their email, according to an internal email obtained by the BBC. Maryland Congressman Johnny Olszewski cited reports that prison guards in Syria responsible for containing thousands of Islamic State fighters nearly walked off the job after the earlier freeze on US aid.
An effort could be underway to bring USAID, which was established by an act of the US Congress, more directly under the control of Trump's Secretary of State, Marco Rubio. "This is real life, this is dangerous and this is serious," he said.
Republican congressman Brian Mast, who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told "Face the Nation" that USAID is "likely going to be rolled more closely under Secretary Rubio." Others alleged that Musk was motivated by his business interests.
Whether the agency is shut down or restructured, the changes sought by Musk and Trump would have far-reaching implications. USAID distributes billions in aid to non-governmental organisations, aid groups and nonprofits around the world. "Elon Musk makes billions of dollars based off of his business with China, and China is cheering at this action today," claimed Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut.
With its website down, several key information reserves, including an international famine tracker and decades of aid records, appeared to be unavailable. Musk has been put in charge of an initiative called the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), a team that is not an official government body but given broad leeway by Trump to slash government spending.
Top officials have been placed on leave or resigned in the last two days following clashes with Musk's (Doge), a team set up in consultation with the administration that Trump has given broad leeway to slash government spending. Its legal status is unclear, as is its authority to order the shutdown of government programmes. It has already been the subject of several court challenges.
Members of Doge clashed with the security officials after requesting access to a highly secure area used for reviewing classified information, the Washington Post and CNN reported this weekend. Over the weekend, Musk posted dozens of messages including allegations that the agency was rife with fraud and corruption.
"No classified material was accessed without proper security clearances," Katie Miller, a spokesperson for Doge, wrote on X. On X, the social network that he owns, he called USAID "evil", a "criminal organisation" and a "radical-left political psy op" - short for "psychological operation", a term commonly used online to allege a conspiracy or cover-up.
In a live stream on X early Monday, he told followers: "You've got to basically get rid of the whole thing. It's beyond repair. ... We're shutting it down."
US media on Monday, citing unnamed White House sources, said Musk had been given an unpaid job as a part-time "special government employee", a status which would potentially make him subject to several rules about financial disclosures and conflicts of interest.
At the White House, Trump defended Musk's handling of the situation, saying the tech tycoon has "access only to letting people go that he thinks are no good, if we agree with him, and it's only if we agree with him".
"Elon can't do and won't do anything without our approval," he said.
USAID distributes billions in aid to non-governmental organisations, aid groups and nonprofits around the world.
With its website down, several key information hubs, including an international famine tracker and decades of aid records, were unavailable.
Top officials have been placed on leave or resigned in the last several days following clashes with Musk's Doge, including over requests that employees of the unofficial department be given access to a highly secure area used for reviewing classified information, the Washington Post and CNN reported this weekend.
"No classified material was accessed without proper security clearances," Katie Miller, Doge spokesperson, wrote on X.
USAID director for security John Vorhees and deputy Director for Security Brian McGill, were both placed on administrative leave as a result, CBS reports.USAID director for security John Vorhees and deputy Director for Security Brian McGill, were both placed on administrative leave as a result, CBS reports.
A top political appointee, chief of staff Matt Hopson, also resigned, the Washington Post reported. A top political appointee, USAID chief of staff Matt Hopson, also resigned, the Washington Post reported.