Frustration mounted on Wednesday among backers of the U.S. aid agency during a rally in Washington, as aid workers abroad hurried to wrap up their operations after the Trump administration unexpectedly ordered nearly all personnel to vacate their posts. This directive, issued on Tuesday, comes after a tumultuous two and a half weeks in which the Trump administration, aided by billionaire supporter Elon Musk, systematically dismantled numerous functions of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). This move effectively disrupts a mission that has spanned six decades, aimed at enhancing U.S. security through initiatives like child education, disease prevention, and broader developmental efforts overseas.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, currently on his inaugural trip in Central America, defended the sudden actions but acknowledged, “Our preference would have been to do this in a more orderly fashion.” He added that the administration plans to “work from the bottom up” to assess which U.S. aid and development missions align with national interests before permitting their continuation. “This is not about ending foreign aid. It is about structuring it in a way that furthers the national interest of the United States,” he stated while in Guatemala City.
Meanwhile, in Washington, a group of Democratic lawmakers and hundreds of supporters gathered outside the Capitol to voice their opposition to the swift shutdown of the independent agency. “This is illegal, and this is a coup,” exclaimed California Democratic Rep. Sara Jacobs. Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen added to the fervor by declaring, “We are witnessing in real time the most corrupt bargain in American history,” alluding to Musk, his backing for President Trump, and his influence over USAID and other targeted agencies. The crowd echoed their demands with chants of “Lock him up!”, directing their frustration also toward Democratic lawmakers for lacking decisive actions against the USAID cuts.
Scott Paul, a director at the Oxfam America humanitarian nonprofit, highlighted the extensive damage inflicted thus far, emphasizing that critical segments of the global aid and development infrastructure would need to be rebuilt “from scratch.” Jennifer Kates, a senior figure at KFF overseeing global health and HIV policy, mentioned a single organization that is poised to shut down up to 1,226 maternal and child-care facilities capitalizing on care for over 630,000 women. She articulated the gravity of the healthcare system’s disruptions, noting, “You can’t just say, ‘Alright, we’re ready to start again. Let’s go.’”
USAID, which has faced significant cuts under the new administration and Musk’s budget-slashing initiative, is experiencing one of the most substantial contractions among federal programs perceived as misaligned with conservative values. U.S. embassies across the more than 100 nations where USAID operates have initiated emergency town hall sessions, attempting to provide clarity for thousands of agency staffers and contractors anxious for information regarding their employment.
A contractor stationed in a high-risk area of the Middle East shared their distress over the shutdown, noting the danger it poses to both them and their family as they can no longer easily contact the U.S. government for assistance. In a troubling incident, the contractor found themselves shut out of government systems and crucial emergency apps removed from their device, expressing a deep sense of isolation, “You really do feel cut off from a lifeline,” they lamented, speaking on condition of anonymity due to a Trump administration ban preventing USAID personnel from discussing matters outside their organization.
With the rumors of the shutdown looming, USAID staffers confronted difficult choices, including pulling children from school midyear and even giving away pets, fearing the administration would not allow adequate time to complete the necessary paperwork to bring their animals back home. Despite claims from the administration that they would ensure the safe return of agency workers within 30 days, many were apprehensive about potential abandonment in overseas posts. Those back in Washington discussed reactivating networks that previously assisted in evacuating local colleagues from perilous situations.
With agency expenditures tightly restricted and most employees stationed at the Washington headquarters sidelined, the administration’s strategy for managing and financing the abrupt relocation of thousands of workers and their families remains uncertain. The large-scale withdrawal threatens to derail billions of dollars’ worth of projects across approximately 120 nations, including vital security aid for Ukraine and developmental efforts focused on clean water, job training, and educational initiatives for schoolgirls in Taliban-governed Afghanistan.
Notification memos were sent to USAID employees and contractors, stating that they would be relieved of their duties effective just before midnight Friday unless deemed essential. Those hired directly by the agency abroad have been given a 30-day window to return home.
The United States is recognized as the leading global donor in humanitarian aid, yet it allocates less than 1% of its budget for foreign assistance, a smaller portion compared to several other countries. Existing shipments of food and medicine, supplied by U.S. companies, remain stalled at ports due to the shutdown.
Programs that have been instrumental in combatting polio and smallpox, as well as successful HIV/AIDS initiatives that have saved over 20 million lives in Africa, have seized operations along with crucial rapid-response teams addressing infectious disease threats such as Ebola. South African Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi shared that urgent meetings were held with U.S. Embassy officials to seek clarity after the Trump administration’s abrupt halt of critical funds necessary for the world’s largest national HIV/AIDS initiative.
In South Africa, which has the highest population of people living with HIV, around eight million individuals, the U.S. contributes about 17% to its $2.3 billion annual funding through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). The health minister did not provide clarity on whether the U.S. exemptions for essential healthcare would impact ongoing efforts.
Democrats and advocates argue that USAID firmly exists as an independent entity by law and cannot be disbanded without Congressional consent. Proponents from both sides of the aisle have emphasized the need for USAID’s overseas endeavors to counteract the influence of adversaries like Russia and China and to strengthen international alliances and partnerships. In Istanbul, nonprofit medical-care representative Hakan Bilgin sat amid unpacked boxes and anxious colleagues, revealing that their organization, Doctors of the World Turkey, received an unexpected stop-work directive from USAID, leading to the closure of 12 field hospitals and the layoff of over 300 staff members in northern Syria. “As a medical organization providing lifesaving services, you’re basically saying, ‘Close all the clinics, stop all your doctors, and you’re not providing services to women, children, and the elderly,’” Bilgin expressed.
