The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) shut down its Washington headquarters on Monday, locking staffers out of its internal systems. Elon Musk indicated that President Trump supports eliminating USAID, calling it a “criminal organization.”
Key Details:
USAID staffers were locked out of the agency’s headquarters and computer systems overnight, with an internal email confirming the closure.
Elon Musk, leading the government efficiency push, said Trump agrees USAID should be dismantled, calling it beyond repair.
Former USAID officials warn the move will have global consequences, including disrupting disease outbreak responses and cutting key humanitarian efforts.
Diving Deeper:
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) effectively shut down its Washington headquarters on Monday, locking employees out of the agency’s systems overnight. An internal email confirmed the closure, citing a directive from leadership, sources toldFox News Digital.
Elon Musk suggested the shutdown is part of a broader effort to dismantle the agency, an idea he claims President Donald Trump supports. During an X Spaces discussion, Musk doubled down on his criticism of USAID, calling it “a bowl of worms” that is “beyond repair.”
“There is no apple,” Musk said. “It’s beyond saving.”
Musk has been vocal in his attacks on USAID, going as far as calling it a “criminal organization” on X. He claimed the agency was run by radical-left operatives who were undermining American interests. The agency’s website was also taken offline Saturday.
The move has sparked outrage among former USAID officials and global health experts. Atul Gawande, who led the agency’s global health division under President Biden, warned that the shutdown is catastrophic for international disease control efforts.
“This is a gift to our enemies and competitors,” Gawande told Fox News Digital. “We were actively managing 21 serious outbreaks worldwide just two weeks ago. Now, three of those have escalated into crises—Ebola in Uganda, a bird flu outbreak spanning 49 countries, and another major threat.”
Gawande added that the agency’s abrupt closure is a blow to morale, claiming employees have been treated with “enormous disrespect and fear.” Reports indicate that the USAID Memorial Wall, which honored staff killed while serving overseas, has been removed. Additionally, entire departments, including malaria prevention and child immunization teams, have been gutted.
“The top three layers of experienced employees are gone,” Gawande continued. “All contract workers are being terminated. Two-thirds of our malaria staff and child immunization experts are gone. This is not reform. This is destruction.”
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A majority of Americans say it is more important for the U.S. to establish energy independence than to fight climate change, according to new polling.
The poll from Napolitan News Service of 1,000 registered voters shows that 57% of voters say making America energy independent is more important than fighting climate change, while 39% feel the opposite and 4% are unsure.
Those surveyed also were asked: Which is more important, reducing greenhouse gas emissions to combat climate change, or keeping the price of cars low enough for families to afford them?
Half of voters (50%) said keeping the price of cars low was more important to them than reducing emissions, while 43% said emissions reductions were more important than the price of buying a car.
When asked, “Which is more important, reducing greenhouse gas emissions or reducing the cost and improving the reliability of electricity and gas for American families?”, 59% said reducing the cost and increasing the reliability was more important compared to 35% who said reducing emissions was more important.
The survey was conducted online by pollster Scott Rasmussen on March 18-19. Field work was conducted by RMG Research. The poll has a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percentage points
Dan McCaleb is the executive editor of The Center Square. He welcomes your comments. Contact Dan at [email protected].
The Trump administration has reportedly suspended financial contributions to the World Trade Organization (WTO) as of Thursday.
The decision comes as part of a broader shift by President Donald Trump to distance the U.S. from international institutions perceived to undermine American sovereignty or misallocate taxpayer dollars. U.S. funding for both 2024 and 2025 has been halted, amounting to roughly 11% of the WTO’s annual operating budget, with the organization’s total 2024 budget amounting to roughly $232 million, according to Reuters.
“Why is it that China, for decades, and with a population much bigger than ours, is paying a tiny fraction of [dollars] to The World Health Organization, The United Nations and, worst of all, The World Trade Organization, where they are considered a so-called ‘developing country’ and are therefore given massive advantages over The United States, and everyone else?” Trump wrote in May 2020.
The president has long criticized the WTO for what he sees as judicial overreach and systemic bias against the U.S. in trade disputes. Trump previously paralyzed the organization’s top appeals body in 2019 by blocking judicial appointments, rendering the WTO’s core dispute resolution mechanism largely inoperative.
But a major sticking point continues to be China’s continued classification as a “developing country” at the WTO — a designation that entitles Beijing to a host of special trade and financial privileges. Despite being the world’s second-largest economy, China receives extended compliance timelines, reduced dues and billions in World Bank loans usually reserved for poorer nations.
The Wilson Center, an international affairs-oriented think tank, previously slammed the status as an outdated loophole benefitting an economic superpower at the expense of developed democracies. The Trump administration echoed this criticism behind closed doors during WTO budget meetings in early March, according to Reuters.
The U.S. is reportedly not withdrawing from the WTO outright, but the funding freeze is likely to trigger diplomatic and economic groaning. WTO rules allow for punitive measures against non-paying member states, though the body’s weakened legal apparatus may limit enforcement capacity.
Trump has already withdrawn from the World Health Organization, slashed funds to the United Nations and signaled a potential exit from other global bodies he deems “unfair” to U.S. interests.
