The Trump administration is reportedly planning to merge the United States government’s primary overseas aid agency, USAID, with the State Department, while workers have been advised to stay away from its Washington headquarters.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio informed reporters that he is now serving as the acting head of USAID, an agency responsible for distributing billions of dollars in global aid.
Democratic lawmakers have denounced the move as “illegal” and “unconstitutional,” arguing that it would harm impoverished communities, weaken national security, and diminish U.S. influence worldwide.
President Donald Trump, along with billionaire adviser Elon Musk, has been an outspoken critic of USAID.
During a Monday press briefing at the White House, Trump accused the agency of being run by “radical left lunatics” and engaging in “tremendous fraud” but failed to provide any evidence or specific details.
Established in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy, USAID employs approximately 10,000 staff members and manages a nearly $40 billion (£32.25 billion) budget, which constitutes a significant portion of the U.S. government’s $68 billion annual foreign aid spending.
Secretary Rubio, labeling USAID as “a completely unresponsive agency,” asserted that while some of its functions would continue, they must be aligned with American foreign policy.
“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.
Details regarding the administration’s plans for implementing the merger remain unclear.
A former USAID official pushed back against the Trump administration’s actions, asserting that the agency embodies “the best and brightest that the American government has to offer.”
Gillian Caldwell described the situation at USAID as “absolute chaos and fear,” alleging that Trump and his team had “literally decapitated the agency.”
Despite its integration into the State Department, USAID will retain its humanitarian aid role, according to three officials.
The developments follow remarks from Musk, who leads an unofficial cost-cutting initiative, claiming that the administration was planning to dismantle USAID entirely.
Over the weekend, two senior security officials were placed on leave, and the agency’s website was taken offline. Employees were instructed to stay home, and hundreds reportedly lost access to their official email accounts, according to an internal message.
Global aid operations were disrupted in a matter of days after Trump halted all U.S. foreign assistance upon his return to the White House late last month.
The impact was immediate in countries such as Afghanistan, where American aid funds essential medical services for women and children. A midwife informed that USAID-funded medical centers had shut down, forcing dozens of workers to stay home.
Donald TrumpIn Syria, humanitarian workers at the Al-Hol displacement camp—home to 40,000 people, mostly women and children—received “stop work” orders, leaving essential aid efforts in jeopardy.
Outside USAID headquarters, Democratic lawmakers decried the administration’s actions, warning of serious consequences for national security.
“It’s not only a gift to our adversaries… it is plain illegal,” stated Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, suggesting that China and Russia could take advantage of the resulting void in American global influence.
Congressman Johnny Olszewski, also from Maryland, highlighted the situation in Syria, saying, “This is real life, this is dangerous, and this is serious.”
Some critics accused Musk of being driven by business interests.
“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.
Musk has been placed in charge of an initiative called the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), a non-official entity granted broad authority by Trump to implement cost-cutting measures across federal agencies.
The legal standing of Doge is ambiguous, as is its authority to shutter government programs such as USAID without congressional approval. The initiative has already faced multiple legal challenges.
Over the weekend, Musk posted several allegations of fraud and corruption within USAID on X, the social media platform he owns.
On X, he labeled USAID “evil,” a “criminal organization,” and a “radical-left political psy-op”—a term frequently used to suggest conspiracies or cover-ups.
During a live stream on X early Monday, Musk stated: “You’ve got to basically get rid of the whole thing. It’s beyond repair. … We’re shutting it down.”
On Monday, U.S. media outlets, citing unnamed White House sources, reported that Musk had been appointed an unpaid “special government employee,” a designation that may subject him to regulations concerning financial disclosures and conflicts of interest.
At the White House, Trump defended Musk’s involvement, explaining that the tech mogul could only terminate employees “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,” Trump asserted.
USAID funds numerous non-governmental organizations and aid groups worldwide. With its website down, critical information—including international famine tracking data and decades of aid records—remains inaccessible.
Top officials have either resigned or been placed on leave following conflicts with Musk’s Doge, particularly over requests to grant Doge personnel access to highly secure areas used for classified information review.
“No classified material was accessed without proper security clearances,” wrote Doge spokesperson Katie Miller on X.
USAID’s director of security, John Vorhees, and deputy director of security, Brian McGill, have both been placed on administrative leave.