A review of staff at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has identified only 294 of the agency’s 14,000 employees as essential to administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance. The internal review, originating from within USAID, appears to have been initiated by President Donald J. Trump’s Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, who is also currently serving as the agency’s acting director.
The essential status determination comes as Sec. Rubio has begun transferring the few core programs within USAID intended to serve U.S. national interests into the State Department—a move that suggests the just 63-year-old aid agency may soon be abolished. Meanwhile, The National Pulse reported Wednesday that President Trump is expected to place most USAID staff on leave on Friday. It is likely that the 294 workers deemed essential will be the few staff directed to remain at their posts.
Over the last week, USAID has come under much scrutiny after Elon Musk and the Department of Government Effiecity (DOGE) detailed the agency’s expenditures. The agency’s spending data reveals that nearly 90 percent of Ukrainian media relies on the U.S. federal aid agency to continue operating. Additionally, on Thursday, it was uncovered that the George Soros-funded East-West Management Institute has received $260 million in taxpayer money disbursed by USAID.
In its current form, USAID has taken to operating as if it were not a government entity funded by U.S. taxpayers, according to Sec. Rubio. This assertion is backed up by the former director of the agency, Mark Moyar, who alleges that many of its staff actively seek to undermine Trump and refuse to report corruption to protect their jobs. […]
Only 294 Out of 14,000 USAID Personnel Identified as Actually Essential pic.twitter.com/vjT7OArOxO
— JD Rucker (@JDRucker) February 7, 2025
— Read More: thenationalpulse.com
