The Trump administration has ordered the sudden closure of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), abruptly pulling almost all agency staffers worldwide off the job and out of the field. This action follows weeks of dismantling efforts led by billionaire ally Elon Musk, shutting down a six-decade mission focused on strengthening U.S. security through education, epidemic control, and development initiatives abroad. The move has sparked outrage among aid workers and lawmakers, who criticize the lack of order and potential for catastrophic damage to global aid and development programs.
Frustration boiled over Wednesday among supporters of the United States' lead aid agency at a Washington rally, and anxious aid workers abroad scrambled to pack up households and families, after the Trump administration abruptly pulled almost all agency staffers worldwide off the job and out of the field. The order issued Tuesday followed 2½ weeks that have seen the Trump administration and teams led by billionaire ally Elon Musk dismantle much of the U.S.
The contractor woke up one morning this week blocked from access to government email and other systems, and an emergency “panic button” app was wiped off the contractor's smartphone. “You really do feel cut off from a lifeline,” the contract staffer said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of a Trump administration ban forbidding USAID workers from speaking to people outside their agency. Despite the administration's assurances that the U.S.
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