Trump team halts USAID staff work
The Trump administration has put around 60 senior USAID officials on administrative leave due to disagreements over policy changes. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Employees are suspected of trying to undermine the US president’s executive orders that halt international funding.
The Trump administration has reportedly placed around 60 senior career officials at the US Agency for International Development (USAID) on administrative leave, allegedly to suppress dissent regarding major changes to US foreign aid policies, according to an internal memo.
This decision comes after President Donald Trump issued an executive order that suspends most foreign aid for 90 days in order to conduct a thorough spending review. An internal memo from the newly appointed leadership at USAID, which was obtained by Reuters and AP on Monday, indicated that specific actions within the agency “appear to be designed to circumvent the President’s Executive Orders and the mandate from the American people.”
“As a result, we have placed a number of USAID employees on administrative leave with full pay and benefits until further notice while we complete our analysis of these actions,” acting USAID Administrator Jason Gray noted in the memo.
Critics inside the agency, as reported by Reuters, have described a “massive chilling effect” at an organization that directs billions of dollars to international causes favored by Washington. They have suggested that the action seeks to silence those who wish to protect “essential” programs from the proposed cuts by Trump. The Financial Times has also reported that several US diplomats have called for exemptions for certain “critical” projects related to Ukraine.
The 90-day suspension of foreign aid has resulted in program halts and staff layoffs worldwide. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has exempted only emergency food programs and military aid to Israel and Egypt from this freeze. The US, recognized as the largest donor globally, allocated approximately $72 billion in various forms of assistance to foreign governments and international organizations in the fiscal year 2023.
Washington contributes to over 42% of all aid tracked by the United Nations. Although Rubio has assured that essential life-saving aid would remain unaffected, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi has predicted unavoidable expenditure cuts and operational freezes. President Trump and his supporters argue that these actions are in line with his campaign promise to reduce bureaucracy and government waste.
Max Fischer for TROIB News
The Trump administration has reportedly placed around 60 senior career officials at the US Agency for International Development (USAID) on administrative leave, allegedly to suppress dissent regarding major changes to US foreign aid policies, according to an internal memo.
This decision comes after President Donald Trump issued an executive order that suspends most foreign aid for 90 days in order to conduct a thorough spending review. An internal memo from the newly appointed leadership at USAID, which was obtained by Reuters and AP on Monday, indicated that specific actions within the agency “appear to be designed to circumvent the President’s Executive Orders and the mandate from the American people.”
“As a result, we have placed a number of USAID employees on administrative leave with full pay and benefits until further notice while we complete our analysis of these actions,” acting USAID Administrator Jason Gray noted in the memo.
Critics inside the agency, as reported by Reuters, have described a “massive chilling effect” at an organization that directs billions of dollars to international causes favored by Washington. They have suggested that the action seeks to silence those who wish to protect “essential” programs from the proposed cuts by Trump. The Financial Times has also reported that several US diplomats have called for exemptions for certain “critical” projects related to Ukraine.
The 90-day suspension of foreign aid has resulted in program halts and staff layoffs worldwide. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has exempted only emergency food programs and military aid to Israel and Egypt from this freeze. The US, recognized as the largest donor globally, allocated approximately $72 billion in various forms of assistance to foreign governments and international organizations in the fiscal year 2023.
Washington contributes to over 42% of all aid tracked by the United Nations. Although Rubio has assured that essential life-saving aid would remain unaffected, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi has predicted unavoidable expenditure cuts and operational freezes. President Trump and his supporters argue that these actions are in line with his campaign promise to reduce bureaucracy and government waste.
Max Fischer for TROIB News
