Trump admin to slash thousands of USAID positions just before midnight

The Trump administration is eliminating thousands of positions astatine the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), portion besides placing the bulk of the remaining unit members connected medication permission globally, conscionable earlier midnight Sunday.

The Associated Press reported that it learned from the Trump medication that 2,000 posts would beryllium eliminated, aft reviewing notices that were sent to USAID workers.

"As of 11:59 p.m. EST connected Sunday, February 23, 2025, each USAID nonstop prosecute personnel, with the objection of designated unit liable for mission-critical functions, halfway enactment and/or specially designated programs, volition beryllium placed connected administrative permission globally," the notices read.

The Trump medication intends connected leaving less than 300 staffers connected the job, retired of the existent 8,000 contractors and nonstop hires.

USAID WORKERS SEND MESSAGE TO TRUMP ON BOXES WHILE LEAVING OFFICE FOR LAST TIME

The little than 300 remaining staff, on with an chartless fig of the 5,000 locally hired planetary unit members abroad, volition tally the fewer life-saving programs that the medication said it intends to support successful spot for the clip being.

Sacked USAID staffers near their Washington, D.C., offices for the past clip connected Friday, with immoderate carrying boxes scrawled with messages that seemed to beryllium directed astatine Trump, who is slashing the agency's workforce.

"We are abandoning the world," work 1 connection connected a container containing belongings being hauled retired by a grinning staffer arsenic she walked retired of USAID's Bureau of Humanitarian Affairs office.

'WASTEFUL AND DANGEROUS': DOGE'S TOP FIVE MOST SHOCKING REVELATIONS

Another smiling staffer’s container had a much upbeat tone, with her connection reading: "You tin instrumentality the humanitarians retired of USAID but you can’t instrumentality the humanity retired of the humanitarians."

Thousands of staffers had been notified weeks agone of their pending dismissals, and connected Friday, U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols lifted a impermanent restraining bid helium had issued astatine the outset of a suit filed by authorities worker unions seeking a halt to the wide layoffs. After lifting the impermanent restraining order, Nichols declined to contented a longer-term bid that would person kept the employees successful their posts.

Trump has moved to gut the bureau aft imposing a 90-day intermission connected overseas aid. He besides appointed Secretary of State Marco Rubio arsenic the acting manager of USAID.

SECRETARY OF STATE RUBIO CONFIRMS BECOMING ACTING USAID CHIEF

The bureau has travel nether occurrence by the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) for alleged wasteful spending. 

For instance, Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, the Senate DOGE Caucus Chairwoman, precocious published a list of projects and programs she says USAID has helped money implicit the years, including $20 cardinal to nutrient a Sesame Street amusement successful Iraq. 

Several much examples of questionable spending person been uncovered astatine USAID, including much than $900,000 to a "Gaza-based panic charity" called Bayader Association for Environment and Development and a $1.5 cardinal programme slated to "advance diversity, equity, and inclusion successful Serbia's workplaces and concern communities."

Fox News Digital’s Michael Dorgan and The Associated Press contributed to this report.