President Donald Trump has fired 1,600 employees of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and placed thousands of others on administrative leave, marking a significant step in the Department of Government Efficiency's (DOGE) efforts toward dramatically slashing the federal workforce.
Multiple outlets reported that the USAID informed staffers in a notice Sunday that the workforce cuts would affect 2,000 jobs in the U.S. While the agency did not provide a reason for the move, it said affected employees will receive "further instructions and information about their benefits and rights."
In a separate notice posted on the landing page of the USAID website later in the day, it was revealed that the agency started to implement "a Reduction-in-Force that will affect approximately 1,600 USAID personnel with duty stations in the United States."
The agency also noted that "all USAID direct hire personnel" in the global workforce, except those in "mission-critical functions, core leadership, and/or specially designated programs," have been placed on administrative leave just before midnight Sunday.
The exact number of personnel to be placed on administrative leave is unclear, but two former senior USAID officials estimated that "a majority" of some 4,600 USAID workers, career U.S. Civil Service, and Foreign Service staffers would be affected by the job cuts.
Neither the DOGE nor the White House have released an official statement on the latest development around the agency that has helped feed people around the world.
Has the USAID Been Unfairly Targeted?
As news of the widespread USAID workforce cuts spread on social media, some X users said it appears the DOGE "targeted" the agency due to its views.
"One primary reason seems tied to USAID's perceived misalignment with the Trump administration's 'America First' agenda," one user said.
In response to a video by The Washington Post columnist Fareed Zakaria's take that Trump and Musk's views on the USAID were "wrong," one user said, "a significant portion of the funds allocated to USAID ultimately flow[s] back into the U.S. economy."
Zakaria questioned why the DOGE was against aid that has helped drive growth and eased poverty or reduced the spread of sexually transmitted diseases across the globe.
Was the US Taxpayer Forced to Carry the World's Burden?
Despite pushback regarding the USAID's role in the broader world, some X users believe American taxpayers' money should stay in the country.
"Why do we have to pay $50M for condoms anywhere with our taxes when our infrastructure is falling apart," one user argued.
"Let's take care of the whole world, you know, it is always cheaper on America's dime," said another user who questioned why the U.S. had to cover the rest of the world's woes. "We have problems here; I prefer my money stays here," the user pointed out.
It remains to be seen which federal agencies will see workforce cuts next. The U.S. president has claimed that the USAID "stole billions of dollars" in its bid to make the Democratic Party a hero to the public.
