The Trump administration announced on Sunday that it would place most personnel at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on paid administrative leave, except for leaders and critical staff globally, eliminating approximately 1,600 positions within the United States.
According to a notice on the USAID website, as of midnight on Sunday US Eastern Time, all direct hire personnel, except essential workers, would be put on leave. The agency is also initiating a Reduction-in-Force, impacting about 1,600 USAID personnel in the US.
An earlier notice indicated that around 2,000 US positions would be eliminated. This move is part of a broader effort led by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency to restructure USAID, which serves as a key tool of US foreign assistance, a critical tool for the country’s ‘soft power’.
A federal judge, earlier, allowed the administration to proceed with the leave plan, a decision that government employee unions, who are currently suing over the matter, viewed as a setback. Some estimating the number to be as high as 4,600.
The gutting of USAID comes as Trump vows to rein in spending as well as cut the federal budget. He had also, in the weeks leading to the USAID job cuts, criticised the organisation’s spendings.
Among other things, Trump alleged that the Biden administration allocated $18 million to India to assist with its elections, questioning the necessity of such funding. He contended that India, which he described as one of the highest tariff nations, does not require financial assistance for elections. "18 million dollars for helping India with its elections. Why the hell? Why don't we just go to old paper ballots, and let them help us with their elections, right? Voter ID. Wouldn't that be nice? We're giving money to India for elections. They don't need money," he stated.
In response, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar expressed concern over Trump's claims and stated that the Indian government is investigating the matter. He noted that USAID was allowed to operate in India "in good faith," but there are suggestions from America of "bad faith" activities.
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, had previously claimed that USAID contributed $21 million to boost voter turnout, a claim that Trump echoed.
(With agency inputs)