The Blubber

U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive memo ordering a review of funding to all non-government organizations that rely on federal dollars.

President Donald Trump’s administration plans to retain fewer than 300 employees at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) out of a global workforce of more than 10,000, four sources told Reuters on Thursday.

The primary U.S. humanitarian aid agency has been a target of a government reorganization initiative led by businessman Elon Musk, a close ally of Trump, since the president’s inauguration on January 20.

According to the four sources familiar with the plan, only 294 USAID staff will be allowed to remain in their positions.

Trump and Musk have repeatedly made false claims accusing agency staff of criminal activity and unsubstantiated allegations of funds being stolen. As a result, dozens of USAID employees have been placed on leave, hundreds of contractors have been laid off, and critical global aid programs have been thrown into uncertainty.

On Tuesday, the administration announced that all directly hired USAID employees worldwide would be put on leave, and thousands of personnel working overseas would be recalled.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the administration was in the process of identifying programs that would be exempt from the sweeping stop-work orders, which have jeopardized efforts to combat disease, prevent famine, and reduce poverty around the world.

The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

USAID employed more than 10,000 people globally, two-thirds of whom worked outside the United States, according to the Congressional Research Service (CRS). In fiscal year 2023, the agency managed more than $40 billion in aid.

Sources familiar with the situation said some employees had already begun receiving termination notices on Thursday.

As of midnight on Friday, February 7, the USAID website announced that "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 were to be notified by Thursday at 3 p.m. EST.

In 2023, USAID provided aid to 130 countries, many of them devastated by conflict and poverty. The top recipients were Ukraine, Ethiopia, Jordan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Yemen, and Afghanistan, according to the CRS report.