In a brave new reform move, the Trump administration’s restructuring of USAID, effective September 30, involves eliminating all overseas positions, with foreign aid oversight transferring directly to the State Department.
See the tweet below!
This significant shift raises questions about America’s commitment to international assistance amidst widespread concern over potential consequences.
On June 10, 2025, the State Department announced that Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered the abolishment of USAID’s international workforce.
The decision will move control of foreign aid programs to the State Department, impacting hundreds of staff, including foreign service officers, contractors, and local employees.
Critics note that 83% of USAID’s programs were slashed shortly after President Trump took office, highlighting a pattern of disengagement from global assistance.
Previously, a six-week initiative terminated 5,200 of USAID’s 6,200 programs worldwide.
These abrupt changes followed a January executive order freezing foreign aid pending review.
Notably, USAID’s website vanished on February 1, rendering staff jobless and the public uninformed.
The restructuring led to Rubio declaring himself the agency’s acting administrator.
Meanwhile, Elon Musk, then spearheading government efficiency efforts, enthusiastically announced USAID’s downsizing.
Senior officials have warned of potentially devastating impacts from these cuts, forecasting increased child malnutrition and deaths from malaria and polio.
Remaining USAID personnel received orders to destroy classified documents, further escalating concerns.
The USAID workforce has shrunk dramatically, from 10,000 employees to a mere 294.
February’s actions slashed 90% of USAID’s foreign aid contracts, in line with Trump’s order pausing foreign development assistance for 90 days.
Administration insiders argue this aligns USAID with its original mission.
USAID’s digital footprint, including their main website and social media accounts, went dark earlier this year, further isolating the once-prominent agency.
The overall intention behind these reforms, however, remains clear: a streamlined, State-led approach to foreign assistance, consistent with Trump administration priorities.
Scoop: The Trump administration will eliminate all USAID overseas positions worldwide by 30 September in a dramatic restructuring of remaining US foreign aid operations, according to a Tuesday cablehttps://t.co/8kn2bxl8qh
— Joseph Gedeon (@JGedeon1) June 10, 2025
