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DOGE Fires 9,000 USAID Employees – Leaving Just 600 – as Trump Pledges to “Close Down” the Entire Agency

by Will Jones
8 February 2025 5:00 PM

President Donald Trump will fire about 9,400 workers from USAID, deeming only 611 as essential employees, as he pledges to “close down” the entire Government agency. The Mail has more.

Trump’s administration originally planned to keep fewer than 300 staff at the US Agency for International Development but that number has now risen, according a notice sent to the agency late Thursday night.

Trump said he was closing down the entire agency.

On Friday morning, he wrote on his Truth Social [in block capitals]: “USAID is driving the radical Left crazy, and there is nothing they can do about it because the way in which the money has been spent, so much of it fraudulently, is totally unexplainable. The corruption is at levels rarely seen before. Close it down!”

USAID was the first target of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is sweeping through the federal Government, cutting spending and the workforce. 

Musk has called the agency a “criminal organisation” and criticised its spending on foreign aid.

“Your tax dollars should be spent on America or the Government should just tax you less,” he wrote on X on Tuesday.

The remaining USAID staff includes employees who specialise in health and humanitarian assistance, the New York Times reported. 

When the original 300 number was floated, staff at the agency had pushed to keep more people on board, citing critical lifesaving humanitarian work. 

Senior staff submitted a list of around 600 people to State Department leadership, calling their work essential and saying it could not be disrupted.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio approved the list of employees who are staying.

But about 800 awards and contracts administered through the agency are being cancelled.

USAID’s Washington DC office has been closed and protesters have been surrounding the building.

Additionally, earlier this week, the administration gave USAID staffers posted overseas 30 days, starting Friday, to return to the US, with the Government paying for their travel and moving costs. 

Workers who choose to stay longer, unless they received a specific hardship waiver, may have to cover their own expenses.

Worth reading in full.

Tags: DOGEElon MuskForeign aidPresident TrumpPublic sectorUSAID

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26 Comments
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Michael Ford
Michael Ford
3 months ago

I was sceptical about Trump. He royally f*cked up with the ‘vaccines’, and I’m very uncomfortable with the formalised union of state and business, but they do actually seem to be doing all the right things atm. Elite theory explains a lot I believe. Anyway, back to the rugby.

Last edited 3 months ago by Michael Ford
11
-2
MajorMajor
MajorMajor
3 months ago
Reply to  Michael Ford

Yeah, I feel something similar.
I can’t say I’m too enthusiastic about him. He’s bit of an oaf.
But… I like what he’s doing.
Declaring there are only two genders – tick.
Deporting illegal immigrants – tick.
Getting rid of DEI – tick.
No men in women’s sports – tick.
The ticks just keep coming.

17
-2
Art Simtotic
Art Simtotic
3 months ago
Reply to  MajorMajor

Actions speak louder than words.

17
0
godknowsimgood
godknowsimgood
3 months ago
Reply to  MajorMajor

And nominating RFK for Health Secretary.

10
0
marebobowl
marebobowl
3 months ago
Reply to  MajorMajor

You do know the bbc was paid a lot of money as were many other msm outlets to brainwash you. Calling Trump an oaf proves their brainwashing worked. What has Trump ever done to the UK? Now if you wanted to call a few of your recent pms. An oaf, it would be more appropriate, don’t you think? Clean your own house. It is one big mess.

3
0
stewart
stewart
3 months ago
Reply to  Michael Ford

He needs to shrink the administrative state. US AID is a small part and low hanging fruit (easy to sell to the public).

I hope he is just getting started and directs his guns at more of these agencies which are little more than parasites living off the productive population.

15
0
Purpleone
Purpleone
3 months ago
Reply to  stewart

So the USAID reduction to 600 (for now) according to my calculations is a ~93% reduction in staffing. Imagine the massive savings across the US government if only a quarter of the alone was achieved? A return of depts to their core focus, due to not having time or resource to waste – I’d guess with the right leadership this would improve efficiency, because if they don’t they’ll be gone as well – focuses the kind I’m sure…

0
0
marebobowl
marebobowl
3 months ago
Reply to  Michael Ford

Yes go back to your rugby…glad England won yesterday. When you wake up, you might just want to see where all the money you pay in tax goes here in little Britain. You may be due a a refund.

0
0
Art Simtotic
Art Simtotic
3 months ago

Posted before, and posting again…

…Bonfire of the vanities, inanities and insanities taking off nicely. Burn baby, burn.

Time of early February evening to fire up the woodburner.

Last edited 3 months ago by Art Simtotic
17
0
Gezza England
Gezza England
3 months ago
Reply to  Art Simtotic

Need to light the woodburner?? Isn’t this the hottest February the planet has ever known?

11
0
Art Simtotic
Art Simtotic
3 months ago
Reply to  Gezza England

Only in Shepherd’s Flaming Bush

Last edited 3 months ago by Art Simtotic
6
0
transmissionofflame
transmissionofflame
3 months ago

“The United States Constitution, Article 1, Section 8, Clause 1, states, “The Congress shall have the Power to lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defense and general Welfare of the United States.”

Don’t think the founding fathers envisaging giving it away to aliens.

15
0
Gezza England
Gezza England
3 months ago
Reply to  transmissionofflame

Funding a cement plant for Hamas. I wonder what they used all the cement for….

16
0
Marcus Aurelius knew
Marcus Aurelius knew
3 months ago
Reply to  Gezza England

Hospitals, duh. Sewage systems, highway bridges, that kind of thing.

What are you implying?

😉

Last edited 3 months ago by Marcus Aurelius knew
2
-5
Heretic
Heretic
3 months ago

Good!

5
0
FerdIII
FerdIII
3 months ago
Reply to  Heretic

It is GREAT.
Just the beginning.

Winning.

5
0
huxleypiggles
huxleypiggles
3 months ago

Slightly Off-T

Kim Rye at The New Conservative pointing out how Labour are intent on pushing the crime of islamophobia. Of course this has nothing to do with Labour haemorrhaging muslim votes, oh definitely not.

https://thenewconservative.co.uk/islamophobia-and-the-politicisation-of-islam/

“Interestingly, the London Borough of Tower Hamlets is now under full political control of an exclusively Bangladeshi-Islamic male-only political party, that goes under the Moniker of ‘Aspire’. This is one such example of Muslims breaking away from the Labour party.

With all attention focused on Islamophobia, the rise of political Islam has been studiously ignored by politicians (including feminist ones) and the mainstream media alike. Yet in the case of Aspire, an individual previously banned from office for electoral fraud and “undue spiritual influence”, namely one Lutfur Rahman, is back in charge running his private empire.”

Last edited 3 months ago by huxleypiggles
13
0
Jeff Chambers
Jeff Chambers
3 months ago
Reply to  huxleypiggles

Thanks for the link.

0
0
RTSC
RTSC
3 months ago

Trade, not Aid, is how poorer countries develop. And reading what much of the £billions of US Aid have gone to promote, it is obvious that it was being used “inappropriately” to push extreme left-wing/woke policies.

If it has a knock-on effect here and the large left-wing charity-quangos lose funding, so much the better.

3
0
marebobowl
marebobowl
3 months ago

WHAT HAS DOGE FOUND!!!! That is the whole point of this investigation. Not how many people have been sacked! Was there cia involvement? Who approved the outrageous spending.

2
0
Fran
Fran
3 months ago

Since this article was posted, a judge in the USA has banned Trump’s order. Any comments, especially from American friends?

3
0
RW
RW
3 months ago

Smaller companies with specialities like global health care could go out of business.

Global health companies have no business save pocketing tax dollars. There is no such thing as global health, ie, health abstracted away from the people who are healthy (or not).

0
0
Purpleone
Purpleone
3 months ago
Reply to  RW

and if they do go out of business because they were so dependent on the teat of US aid, then they were never a sustainable, real business

2
0
RW
RW
3 months ago
Reply to  Purpleone

That’s the point I was trying to make: Global health care isn’t a business specialization that’s manifestly different from health care. It’s entirely unclear what that’s supposed to be at all. I could think of parachuting in US medics to deal with emergencies abroad. But that’s just my best guess. It might as well be covaxx bombers dropping syringes from the sky.

1
0
Purpleone
Purpleone
3 months ago
Reply to  RW

Indeed – I’d say it’s 99% politically driven – influence abroad etc at heart, however like all these things if not kept in check it becomes a monster that forgets its original, and only, purpose. The only answer is burn it to the ground and start again

1
0
RW
RW
3 months ago

Highlight of USAID spending (from DM video): $2,000,000 to fund so-called sex change operations in Guatemala. That’s going to help poor people there. Not.

2
0

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