Elon Musk has referred to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) as a "criminal organization" that must "die."
Now, it appears that is exactly what is happening.
USAID has announced that nearly all of its staff will be placed on leave starting Friday night, according to a statement posted to their website. It is a decision that affects thousands of employees, with exceptions made for those in "mission-critical functions, core leadership, and specially designated programs."
In fact, that statement is the only thing you will find posted on the current USAID.gov site. It reads in part:
"On Friday, February 7, 2025, at 11:59 pm (EST) all USAID direct hire personnel will be placed on administrative leave globally, with the exception of designated personnel responsible for mission-critical functions, core leadership and specially designated programs. Essential personnel expected to continue working will be informed by Agency leadership by Thursday, February 6, at 3:00pm (EST)."
BREAKING: USAID announces all staff will be placed on administrative leave starting Feb 7 (Friday) pic.twitter.com/GiBFvg2eUt
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) February 5, 2025
The move is part of the Trump administration's — particularly the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team's — broader efforts to merge USAID with the State Department, effectively dismantling the agency as an independent entity.
DOGE first began cleaning house at USAID late last week, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio eventually taking over the role of acting director.
USAID is a criminal organization.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 2, 2025
Time for it to die. https://t.co/sWYy6fyt1k
Since then, billions of dollars in grants have been frozen as the Trump administration attempts to make sense of the seemingly never-ending funding of left-wing pet projects by the agency.
Can President Trump Really Shutdown the U.S. Agency for International Development?
News of the department placing the entirety of its staff on leave, with the exception of essential personnel, comes following an order to shut down all overseas missions and recall staff by the same deadline.
Deputy administrator for the agency, Pete Marocco, said USAID had until Friday to recall all overseas employees. Those who were not successfully returned by that deadline were to be "evacuated" by the United States military.
CBS News reports that USAID Missions in Countries across the World have been instructed to immediately cease all Operations and for Staff to return to the United States by Friday; with Peter Marocco, who was just appointed USAID Deputy Administrator on Monday, telling State…
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) February 4, 2025
The agency’s website has posted word of the recall notice, and staff have been instructed not to enter USAID premises or use their authority without permission.
Critics of the move to dismantle USAID, which includes Democrats and the media, are furious that President Trump and Mr. Musk are trying to root out government corruption.
Lawmakers expressed their disdain in the form of a completely unhinged protest that included assertions that Musk is conducting a "coup" along with phrases showing their willingness to fight back, such as "scrappy little dyke" and "we gonna be in yo face."
WATCH: Dems Go Completely Off the Rails in Crazy Protest Outside Treasury Department
The adults are now in the room trying to sort out the mess while the petulant children are outside throwing a temper tantrum because their milk and cookies are being taken away.
You know you're on the right path when Democrats are actively losing their minds over what amounts to their party's personal slush fund being eradicated. Over 96 percent of donations coming from USAID go to Democrats and Democrat causes, and a mere 4 percent to Republicans, according to a Heritage Foundation report from 2023. Why is that, do you think?
“The corruption and waste is being rooted out in real-time,” Musk posted on X.
On Monday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt laid out concrete examples of that corruption.
“1.5 million dollars to advance DEI in Serbia’s workplaces. $70,000 for a production of a DEI musical in Ireland. $47,000 for a transgender opera in Colombia. $32,000 for a transgender comic book in Peru,” Leavitt revealed.
Transgender comic books. That’s where your tax money has been going.
Need more evidence USAID was a big money laundering scheme? Listen to @PressSec list a few places they spent your $.
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) February 3, 2025
$1.5M for DEI in Serbia
$70K for a DEI musical in Ireland
$47K for a trans opera in Colombia
$32K for a trans book in Peru
There are thousands of these examples. pic.twitter.com/xyRYZs8Cgx
“I don’t know about you, but as an American taxpayer, I don’t want my dollars going towards this crap, and I know the American people don’t either, and that’s exactly what Elon Musk has been tasked by President Trump to do,” Leavitt added.
On Tuesday, Trump praised Musk's efforts to expose USAID.
"Look at all the fraud that he's found," the President said.
A statement from the White House accuses USAID of being "unaccountable to taxpayers as it funnels massive sums of money to the ridiculous — and, in many cases, malicious — pet projects of entrenched bureaucrats, with next-to-no oversight.”
It concludes: “Under President Trump, the waste, fraud, and abuse ENDS NOW.”
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