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The Trump administration plans to retain fewer than 300 of USAID’s 10,000 staff as part of a reorganization led by DOGE and Elon Musk, a key ally to President Trump.
Sources say only 294 USAID staff will remain, including 12 in the Africa bureau and eight in Asia. Former USAID chief J. Brian Atwood called the cuts “outrageous,” warning they would cripple the agency’s global aid efforts.
Amid Trump and Musk’s assessment that USAID staff were criminals, dozens have been put on leave, hundreds of contractors laid off, and vital programs stalled. The administration announced a global leave order for all direct USAID employees and recalled thousands abroad.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said some programs combating disease, famine, and poverty may be exempt from the halt.
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