The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has closed its headquarters in Washington, D.C. and instructed most of its staff to stay away from the building, according to numerous US media outlets on Monday. Prior to this, US President Donald Trump had referred to the agency’s leadership as “radical radicals” and proposed fundamental changes to the organization.
Established in 1961, the agency is responsible for overseas development programs and humanitarian assistance, aimed at promoting American interests abroad.
According to an email, which CNN has obtained and published, the USAID leadership decided to close the “central office in the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, D.C., on Monday, February 3, 2025.” The email states that employees who typically work at the central office will work from home the next day, except for those responsible for on-site and maintenance tasks, who will be contacted individually by the leadership.
The Associated Press has confirmed the authenticity of the email and added that more than 600 employees had found themselves locked out of the USAID computer system overnight.
This move followed an attack by Trump on the agency, in which he stated, “It’s being run by a group of radical radicals. We’re going to get them out and then we’ll make a decision.” Tech mogul Elon Musk, who leads the Ministry of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in the Trump administration and is a close ally of the president, also launched a scathing attack on USAID, calling it a “criminal organization” that allegedly funds bioweapons research, including projects that may have led to the release of COVID-19.
“It’s clear that it’s not an apple with a worm, it’s just a ball of worms. You basically can’t fix it, it’s got to be torn down” Musk said.
Musk later announced that he had spoken to Trump and that the president had agreed to his proposal to close USAID.
The move against USAID comes after the Trump administration suspended most of its foreign aid programs, with the exception of a few and Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the US would review programs to determine which ones made America “safer, stronger, or wealthier.” He said the temporary suspension of US-financed projects during the 90-day review would lead to “much better cooperation” from the recipients of various aid programs.