In Washington, two high-ranking security officials at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) have been placed on leave by the Trump administration. This action was taken after they declined to provide classified materials to inspection teams led by Elon Musk’s newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). According to a current and a former U.S. official, the DOGE members eventually accessed classified information from the agency on Saturday, which included intelligence reports.
The DOGE team did not possess the requisite security clearance needed to view the sensitive information, which legally compelled USAID security staff, John Vorhees and his deputy Brian McGill, to deny them access. Both officials spoke under the condition of anonymity due to restrictions on disclosing such information.
Following the incident, Musk made a comment on social media platform X, declaring, “USAID is a criminal organization. Time for it to die.” The White House did not provide a comment in response to requests for clarification on the matter.
This incident followed a similar operation carried out by DOGE at the Treasury Department a day earlier, where they were able to access critical information, including data regarding Social Security and Medicare payment systems. Musk’s creation of DOGE was reportedly a collaborative effort with the new Trump administration, which aims to streamline operations, reduce the federal workforce, and diminish federal regulations.
Amid these developments, the USAID website mysteriously disappeared on Saturday, adding to the ongoing scrutiny it has faced under the administration’s tightening grip on federal agencies. USAID has been among the primary targets in a broader crackdown initiated by the Trump administration, aiming to limit federal operations and funding, notably through an unprecedented suspension of foreign aid that has severely impacted the agency’s humanitarian programs worldwide.
The Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, has played a significant role in enforcing this halt, which has resulted in mass layoffs within aid organizations and has considerably weakened the agency’s leadership in Washington. As it stands, the U.S. remains the largest global contributor of humanitarian assistance, with USAID managing billions of dollars directed towards aid, developmental, and security efforts across more than 100 nations.
Peter Marocco, a political appointee returning from Trump’s previous administration, was instrumental in implementing this shutdown. Employees at USAID have reported suspicions that outsiders with visitor badges posing as members of the DOGE team are conducting inquiries at the agency headquarters in Washington.
