US President Donald Trump agreed the US Agency for International Development (USAID) needs to be “shut down,” following days of speculation over the future of the agency after its funding was frozen and dozens of its employees were put on leave, said CNN.
Billionaire and Trump ally Elon Musk said the US president confirmed he wants to shut down the agency, which dispenses billions in humanitarian aid and development funding annually.
Musk’s comments come after two top security officials at USAID were put on administrative leave Saturday night for refusing members of the Department of Government Efficiency access to systems at the agency, even when DOGE personnel threatened to call law enforcement, multiple sources familiar with the situation told CNN.
Around 60 senior USAID staff were put on leave last week on accusations of attempting to circumvent Trump’s executive order to freeze foreign aid for 90 days. Another senior official was put on leave for trying to reverse that move after finding no evidence of wrongdoing.
