Donald Trump administration is set to reduce the US Agency for International Development (USAID) workforce to fewer than 300 staff globally, from over 10,000.
Trump Administration’s Sweeping Cuts To Leave USAID
Donald Trump administration is set to reduce the US Agency for International Development (USAID) workforce to fewer than 300 staff globally, from over 10,000. The proposed plan would leave USAID, the US’s primary agency for delivering foreign humanitarian assistance, with a skeletal staff. Sources revealed that only 294 employees would remain, including just 12 in the Africa bureau and 8 in the Asia bureau, areas that are critical to combating poverty, disease, and conflict.
The cutbacks come as part of a reorganization initiative, driven in part by businessman Elon Musk, a key Trump ally, who has supported government downsizing. The administration has long targeted USAID for reform, and these cuts appear to fulfill that goal. USAID’s projects focus on critical areas such as disease prevention, disaster relief, and poverty alleviation in some of the world’s most impoverished regions. In 2023, the agency provided assistance to over 130 countries, with top recipients being Ukraine, Ethiopia, Jordan, Somalia, and Afghanistan.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio had indicated that the administration was working to identify exempted programs from the sweeping stop-work orders, which took effect this week. However, many organizations that partner with USAID now face financial difficulties and uncertainty over ongoing projects.
Overhaul to merge USAID with State Department
The cuts are part of a broader effort to merge USAID with the State Department, consolidating both entities under Rubio’s leadership. However, this merger cannot proceed without congressional approval, as USAID was established by federal law and receives its funding from appropriations authorized by Congress.
Pushback from aid organizations and lawmakers
The cuts have sparked outrage from humanitarian organizations and many lawmakers. Critics argue that reducing USAID’s workforce so dramatically will weaken US influence abroad and create a vacuum that could be filled by other nations, particularly China and Russia, who have increased their presence in many developing regions.
The future of US Aid
The future of USAID and US foreign aid remains uncertain. While the administration’s goal is to streamline government operations and save costs, the broader implications of these cuts may ultimately harm US strategic interests and hinder efforts to address global challenges such as poverty, pandemics, and conflict.
Deep State
Three layers of deep state influence, with increasing level of difficulty exposing
1. Direct : Direct funding by US or friendly govt’s. For example, $USAID. After lots of laundering it reaches the real beneficiaries.
2. Through American billionaires & NGOs : Many billionaires like Soros become and remain rich because they work as arms of deep state. NGOs like Ford foundation, Rockefeller Brothers foundation etc, that either always worked for CIA or were taken over after founders passed away maintain plausible independence.
3. Foreign NGOs under influence : Their funding by 1 and 2 is easy to trace. But their ace card is businesses who need American market, and one lawsuit in USA can be devastating. Ever wondered why Infosys, Wipro, Tatas fund IPSMF that funds The Wire, Caravan etc?
