Elon Musk earlier revealed that US President Donald Trump “agreed” to shut down the agency, which he called “criminal” and “beyond repair”
The US Agency for International Development (USAID) has closed its main office in Washington DC, with most personnel told to stay away from the building, multiple US media outlets reported on Monday. The development comes after US President Donald Trump accused the agency’s leadership of being “radical lunatics” and proposed major changes to the organization.
Established in 1961, USAID is responsible for administering foreign aid and development programs abroad to promote American interests.
According to an email obtained and shared by CNN, USAID leadership directed that the “headquarters at the Ronald Reagan building in Washington, D.C. be closed to Agency personnel on Monday, February 3, 2025.”
“Agency personnel normally assigned to work at USAID headquarters will work remotely tomorrow, with the exception of personnel with essential on-site and building maintenance functions individually contacted by senior leadership,” the letter said.
AP has confirmed the email, adding that more than 600 employees discovered overnight that they had been locked out of USAID’s computer systems.
The development comes after Trump blasted the agency, arguing that “it’s been run by a bunch of radical lunatics.”“We’re getting them out, and then we’ll make a decision,” he said.
Tech billionaire Elon Musk, the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and a close ally of the US president, has also been a fierce critic of USAID. He described it as a “criminal organization” which he believes was financing bioweapon research, including projects that allegedly led to the emergence of Covid-19.
“It became apparent that it’s not an apple with a worm in it. What we have is just a ball of worms. You’ve got to basically get rid of the whole thing. It’s beyond repair,” Musk said.
He also revealed that he had spoken with Trump, claiming that the president had “agreed” that USAID should be shut down.
The crackdown on USAID comes after the Trump administration suspended foreign assistance, with a few exceptions. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the US would carry out a program-by-program review to determine which projects make “America safer, stronger or more prosperous.” He claimed that shutting down US-funded programs during the 90-day review had resulted in “a lot more cooperation” from recipients of various assistance.
