The headquarters of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Washington has been closed, and agency employees received an email notification instructing them not to come to work. This was reported by CNN on Monday, February 3, according to the national portal “Adyrna.”
“Under the direction of USAID leadership, the agency’s headquarters, located in the Ronald Reagan Building in the U.S., will be closed to employees on February 3, 2025. Employees who usually work in the headquarters will work remotely tomorrow, except for personnel performing essential functions, who will be personally contacted by senior leadership,” the email stated.
According to the broadcast, USAID logos and photos depicting the agency’s activities have been removed from the building. The agency’s website and social media accounts have also ceased operations.
The previous day, U.S. President Donald Trump had announced resignations within USAID leadership. He described the agency as being run by a “radical, insane group” and stated, “We will remove them and then make a decision.” Additionally, media reports indicated that some agency employees had been placed on unpaid leave or had their contracts terminated, raising suspicions of attempts to circumvent the president’s order to halt foreign aid programs.
Previously, businessman Elon Musk, whom the U.S. president appointed as one of the new heads of the Government Efficiency Department, had criticized USAID. The Tesla and SpaceX CEO called the agency a criminal organization and accused USAID of financing the development of a biological weapon, which he referred to as COVID-19. Musk did not provide any evidence to support his claims.
It is worth noting that USAID is responsible for managing civil aid and development cooperation efforts abroad. Its annual budget amounts to $42.8 billion.