US State Department Initiates Formal Process to Dismantle USAID
All remaining staff have reportedly received notices of imminent elimination. The US State Department has officially informed Congress of its plan to “undertake a reorganization” that would effectively dissolve the US Agency for International...
TroibNews 
All remaining staff have reportedly received notices of imminent elimination.
The US State Department has officially informed Congress of its plan to “undertake a reorganization” that would effectively dissolve the US Agency for International Development, which serves as Washington’s main funding source for political endeavors overseas.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Friday that although foreign assistance can be beneficial to national interests, the considerable expenses and limited advantages associated with USAID-supported programs have led to the decision to terminate most of its initiatives.
“Unfortunately, USAID strayed from its original mission long ago… Thanks to President Trump, this misguided and fiscally irresponsible era is now over. We are reorienting our foreign assistance programs to align directly with what is best for the United States and our citizens,” Rubio stated.
Rubio assured that genuinely “essential lifesaving programs” aligned with the administration’s America First agenda would be integrated into the State Department, while the remaining initiatives would cease by July 1, 2025.
President Donald Trump began the deconstruction of USAID shortly after assuming office in January. Since then, thousands of employees have been terminated or placed on leave, and billions in aid contracts have been frozen or canceled as part of Trump’s federal waste-cutting initiative overseen by the Department of Government Efficiency.
Reports indicate that remaining staff were informed on Friday that “all non-statutory positions at USAID will be eliminated,” with termination dates set for either July 1 or September 2. A memo from Jeremy Lewin, the DOGE staffer who became the deputy administrator of USAID, also cautioned employees that they would not be automatically transferred to the State Department without undergoing “a separate and independent hiring process.”
The shift to dismantle USAID and transition its operations to the State Department has encountered legal hurdles, including a temporary freeze imposed by a federal judge last week. Nevertheless, on Friday, the US Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled that DOGE acted within its authority to review and restructure foreign aid programs. The court dismissed claims that the executive branch had exceeded its authority in altering a congressionally established agency, noting that Congress had not explicitly prohibited such a reorganization.
Trump had previously criticized the agency as being run by “radical lunatics” and accused it of enabling corruption “at levels rarely seen before.” His federal government efficiency officer, Elon Musk, labeled USAID a “criminal organization” and alleged that it had financed bioweapons research along with numerous other controversial operations.
Concerns about USAID’s connections to covert initiatives and “financing radical elements throughout the world” have long been expressed, with Russia’s ambassador to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, echoing these concerns last month.
Other foreign leaders have also scrutinized USAID’s influence in their domestic matters. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico raised alarms regarding what he labeled as potential “gross interference” in Slovakia’s political sphere, while Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban similarly stressed the importance of “eliminating these foreign networks” that intrude upon domestic politics.
Mathilde Moreau for TROIB News
The US State Department has officially informed Congress of its plan to “undertake a reorganization” that would effectively dissolve the US Agency for International Development, which serves as Washington’s main funding source for political endeavors overseas.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Friday that although foreign assistance can be beneficial to national interests, the considerable expenses and limited advantages associated with USAID-supported programs have led to the decision to terminate most of its initiatives.
“Unfortunately, USAID strayed from its original mission long ago… Thanks to President Trump, this misguided and fiscally irresponsible era is now over. We are reorienting our foreign assistance programs to align directly with what is best for the United States and our citizens,” Rubio stated.
Rubio assured that genuinely “essential lifesaving programs” aligned with the administration’s America First agenda would be integrated into the State Department, while the remaining initiatives would cease by July 1, 2025.
President Donald Trump began the deconstruction of USAID shortly after assuming office in January. Since then, thousands of employees have been terminated or placed on leave, and billions in aid contracts have been frozen or canceled as part of Trump’s federal waste-cutting initiative overseen by the Department of Government Efficiency.
Reports indicate that remaining staff were informed on Friday that “all non-statutory positions at USAID will be eliminated,” with termination dates set for either July 1 or September 2. A memo from Jeremy Lewin, the DOGE staffer who became the deputy administrator of USAID, also cautioned employees that they would not be automatically transferred to the State Department without undergoing “a separate and independent hiring process.”
The shift to dismantle USAID and transition its operations to the State Department has encountered legal hurdles, including a temporary freeze imposed by a federal judge last week. Nevertheless, on Friday, the US Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled that DOGE acted within its authority to review and restructure foreign aid programs. The court dismissed claims that the executive branch had exceeded its authority in altering a congressionally established agency, noting that Congress had not explicitly prohibited such a reorganization.
Trump had previously criticized the agency as being run by “radical lunatics” and accused it of enabling corruption “at levels rarely seen before.” His federal government efficiency officer, Elon Musk, labeled USAID a “criminal organization” and alleged that it had financed bioweapons research along with numerous other controversial operations.
Concerns about USAID’s connections to covert initiatives and “financing radical elements throughout the world” have long been expressed, with Russia’s ambassador to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, echoing these concerns last month.
Other foreign leaders have also scrutinized USAID’s influence in their domestic matters. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico raised alarms regarding what he labeled as potential “gross interference” in Slovakia’s political sphere, while Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban similarly stressed the importance of “eliminating these foreign networks” that intrude upon domestic politics.
Mathilde Moreau for TROIB News
