Musk says Trump on board with USAID shut down, staff bans

On Monday, the lobby of the U.S. Agency for International Development was blocked by yellow police tape, and officers, and employees were instructed to refrain from entering the agency's Washington headquarters.

This action was taken in response to billionaire Elon Musk's announcement that President Donald Trump had reached an agreement with him to close the agency, as PBS reported.

USAID staffers also said more than 600 additional employees had reported being locked out of the agency’s computer systems overnight.

Those still in the system received emails saying that “at the direction of Agency leadership” the headquarters building “will be closed to Agency personnel on Monday, Feb. 3.”

More Big Changes

The agency’s website vanished Saturday without explanation.

The rapid developments are thought like to be a testament to the extraordinary influence of Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in the Trump administration.

This has resulted in thousands of USAID employees who have already been laid off and programs have been closed in the two weeks since President Donald Trump assumed office.

The agency's closure was announced by Musk on Monday morning, while Marco Rubio, the secretary of state under President Trump, was abroad on a mission to Central America.

Trump's Upset

A freeze on foreign assistance has been ordered by Trump, a Republican, with pervasive effects around the world.

The United States, the world's largest provider of humanitarian aid, has reversed decades of policy that prioritized humanitarian, development, and security assistance as a critical component of efforts to forge alliances and confront adversaries such as China and Russia.

They have compelled U.S. and international companies to terminate tens of thousands of programs worldwide, resulting in financial crises, furloughs, and layoffs. As a result, some people are concerned that the assistance community has already been irreparably damaged by the freeze and will be unable to resume work even if funding is restored.

Democratic lawmakers have criticized the actions, asserting that Trump lacks the constitutional authority to close down USAID without congressional approval and condemning Musk's access to sensitive government-held information through his Trump-sanctioned inspections of federal government agencies and programs.