USAID puts global staff on leave in response to Trump's personnel overhaul

The U.S. government’s massive humanitarian agency, USAID, announced on Tuesday that it would place staff in the U.S. and abroad on administrative leave, as part of a move to recall employees from overseas assignments.

In a statement posted on its website after a brief hiatus over the weekend, the agency explained that the leave would take effect just before midnight on Friday. It will apply to "all USAID direct hire personnel," except those responsible for mission-critical roles, core leadership, and specific programs. 

"Thank you for your service," the statement concluded.

This action is part of a broader effort led by former President Trump and his ally, billionaire Elon Musk, to reduce the size of the U.S. government—an initiative that has sparked surprise and outrage in Washington, particularly from Democrats and human rights advocates.

USAID, which supports health and emergency programs in approximately 120 countries, is seen as a key component of U.S. foreign policy and soft power, especially in the competition for influence with global rivals like China. Musk, who has extensive business interests in China, has fiercely criticized USAID, calling it a "viper's nest of radical-left Marxists who hate America," and has pledged to shut it down. 

Musk has also leveled unproven accusations against USAID, alleging it does "rogue CIA work" and even claims the agency funded bioweapons research, including COVID-19, which he says contributed to millions of deaths.

The SpaceX and Tesla CEO, who is a major supporter of Trump and has significant U.S. government contracts, stated that he personally discussed this bold move with the president.

The attack on USAID is part of a broader narrative within the hard-right and libertarian wings of the Republican Party, which argue that the U.S. spends too much on foreign aid while neglecting domestic issues. 

USAID’s mission is to combat extreme poverty, promote resilient democracies, and advance U.S. security and prosperity. In 2023, the top recipients of USAID aid were Ukraine, Ethiopia, and Jordan, followed by countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo, Afghanistan, South Sudan, and Syria. Ukraine, in particular, has received over $16 billion in macroeconomic support as part of the ongoing conflict.

Founded in 1961, USAID’s budget is over $40 billion—just a small fraction of the U.S. government's nearly $7 trillion annual spending. The U.S. remains the world’s largest provider of official development assistance, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).