Most Americans are familiar with the Department of Defense and the State Department. But lately, a different U.S. agency has dominated headlines: the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Upon taking office, the new administration announced that it would halt new and existing foreign assistance spending—a large portion of which is administered by USAID. But the administration did not stop there. Over the past six weeks, the Department of Government Efficiency has systematically dismantled the agency that was created by President John F. Kennedy in 1961.
“We spent the weekend feeding USAID into the wood chipper,” billionaire businessman Elon Musk, who also doubles as a senior advisor to the president, exclaimed on X (formerly known as Twitter) last month. “Could gone to some great parties. Did that instead.”
In subsequent weeks, there have been countless stories written about the non-governmental organizations that have halted their life-saving work in the world’s poorest countries, laid off staff, and in some cases, closed their doors forever. Closer to home, there are thousands of Americans whose lives have been completely upended by the changes at USAID. 4,700 USAID employees have been placed on administrative leave and another 1,600 have been terminated. Last week, employees were told they would be given 15 minutes to clean out their offices.
The Faces Of American Generosity
Before the cuts, USAID had roughly 10,000 employees, nearly two-thirds of which worked overseas. The agency also has thousands more suppliers and contractors who service USAID’s important work from farmers who grow crops that keep children from starving to researchers who find new breakthroughs that stop the spread of preventable diseases.
The USAID apparatus extends far and wide, and includes people like Anne Hayes, the Founding Partner & Executive Director of the Kansas-based Inclusive Development Partners (IDP). Over the last 25 years, Hayes has worked in over 35 countries, improving inclusive access to education for children who are disabled. But instead of breaking down the walls that keep too many children with disabilities from educational opportunities, especially in low-income countries, the organization now finds itself in a precarious position. They recently launched a GoFundMe campaign to crowdsource donations in an effort to avoid bankruptcy.
“We are not being paid the money of which we did even before the stop work order. So we’re owed tens of thousands of dollars that no one’s paying us. When they stopped USAID, they didn’t pay them for any of the work they’ve done up until that point,” Hayes told the Topeka Capital-Journal late last month.
The aid disruptions forced the organization to furlough all 14 of its staffers in the U.S. and eight of its international staff members were either terminated or placed on unpaid leave.
“I’m not a radical lunatic, as Trump said. I’m somebody who has dedicated my entire professional life to helping kids with disabilities,” Hayes said. “I don’t understand how this is bad.”
As President Trump prepared to take office, Casey Bartrem, an Idaho-based contractor with USAID, anticipated a potential shift in USAID policy priorities. It’s not uncommon for new administrations to review all programs to ensure they meet the president’s worldview. Bartrem expected her grant to reduce childhood lead poisoning in places like Africa and Southeast Asia might not be renewed in July. Instead, she received an immediate stop-work order.
“The amount of waste of work that has been done…I can speak to only lead, but I can’t imagine how many millions, or maybe even a billion, that has been wasted in work done that has just been destroyed,” Bartrem told the Idaho Statesman last month. “It’s just been thrown away. When we talk about efficiency, this is not efficient. It’s disgusting, how wasteful it is.”
Over the years, USAID has directed millions of dollars to state colleges and universities for their technical and research capabilities. Last year, Michigan State University and Mississippi State University both received five-year grants from USAID to strengthen STEM programs in Malawi and help alleviate poverty by improving nutrition through aquatic foods in Asia and Africa. The aid disruptions have now reportedly halted research at land grant universities in at least 13 states focused on fighting hunger and malnutrition.
“For U.S. farmers, this is not good,” Peter Goldsmith, who leads the University of Illinois’ Soybean Innovation Lab, one of the affected labs, told Reuters last month. Goldsmith has been forced to lay off all 30 lab staff and plans to close the lab on April 15th, dealing a potential blow to African soybean farmers who depend on technical assistance to boost agricultural yields.
For years, USAID has been plagued by misinformation. While surveys have shown that most Americans believe roughly 25% of the federal budget is spent on foreign assistance, the actual number is less than 1%. Lately, the falsehoods surrounding USAID have been trumpeted by Elon Musk, who has without evidence referred to the agency as “a viper’s nest of radical-left marxists who hate America.”
If you scroll through the American Foreign Service Association Instagram page, a different portrait emerges—one of dedicated men and women who often trade privilege and wealth in favor of service. In recent days, the page has been flooded with stories and comments from foreign service officers detailing how recent events have uprooted their lives.
One anonymous foreign service officer from Georgia posted: “I served in war zones. Was shot at. Had friends die. All in the service of USAID and the United States. To be called these names dishonors the sacrifices I and so many others have made.”
Another veteran turned USAID foreign service officer in Hawaii worried about their future after losing their benefits, job, and pension. “I do not have access to my federal service personnel files. We have no health insurance. My supervisors were taken away. My health is deteriorating from stress and I am worried about being able to pay rent and utilities” they wrote.
A foreign service officer recently filed an affidavit in federal court accusing the Trump administration of endangering their unborn child and his wife who was 31 weeks pregnant. The worker alleged that the couple was told they must seek advanced medical care or else the mother could be at heightened risk of hemorrhaging. Twice the couple received approval for the medical evacuation and twice the State Department rejected the transport. The expected mother soon began hemorrhaging and emergency hospitalization was required where she was put on bed rest. Moving her would be too risky, the filing stated.
Why It Matters
USAID employs thousands of Americans and is a valuable lifeblood for farmers, small business owners, and research institutions in every corner of the country. The layoffs, funding freeze, and ongoing turmoil has already placed significant strains on the global healthcare system. Abroad, the delays and disruptions have hindered vital virus and disease surveillance, testing, treatment, and care. At home, efforts to dismantle USAID have left many Americans dependent on the agency uncertain about their lives, livelihoods, and futures.