USAID website goes dark after Musk rebuke

Published February 4, 2025
A USAID employee protests outside the agency’s headquarters at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, on Monday. — AFP
A USAID employee protests outside the agency’s headquarters at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, on Monday. — AFP

WASHINGTON: The official website of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) remained offline on Monday, two days after it first went dark, amid reports that the agency is being merged with the US State Department.

This development follows comments made by Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, who is overseeing major government reforms.

During an online conversation on X, Musk confirmed that President Trump had authorised the dismantling of the agency, which was established under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to coordinate US foreign aid.

“We went over it with (the president) in detail, and he agreed that we should shut it down,” Musk said.

“We spent the weekend feeding USAID into the wood chipper… USAID is a criminal organisation. Time for it to die,” he wrote on X.

The agency is among the world’s biggest providers of humanitarian aid to foreign nations. In 2023, it received $43 billion in funding and had a workforce of over 10,000 before the layoffs. The agency supports projects addressing hunger, poverty, and disease.

The disruption to its work became apparent on Monday, when USAID’s headquarters were closed for the day. Employees were instructed to work remotely or remain at home, except for those responsible for essential maintenance duties.

A weekend email from USAID leadership instructed staff accordingly, while plaques bearing the USAID seal were removed from offices, signaling a shift in the agency’s structure.

The agency’s social media accounts were also taken offline, replaced by a streamlined version on the State Department’s website. Attempts to access the original website resulted in an error message indicating that the “IP address could not be found”.

This move is part of the Trump administration’s broader strategy to overhaul US foreign aid distribution.

Last week, the administration issued an executive order freezing funding for foreign aid while a review is conducted to ensure it aligns with the “America First” foreign policy.

Reports suggest the administration plans to bring USAID under the direct control of the State Department, a proposal discussed on Friday when early signs of the agency’s closure emerged.

USAID employees are now left uncertain about their future, as lawmakers and aid workers express concern over the potential loss of the agency’s independence.

Published in Dawn, February 4th, 2025

Opinion

Editorial

Depopulating Gaza
Updated 07 Feb, 2025

Depopulating Gaza

The least feasible "solution" is the Trumpian plan for Gaza’s ethnic cleansing and occupation, which is a non-starter.
‘Pause’ in US aid
07 Feb, 2025

‘Pause’ in US aid

THE impact of the Trump administration’s decision to ‘pause’ all US foreign aid programmes, especially those...
Mobilising opposition
07 Feb, 2025

Mobilising opposition

POLITICS makes strange bedfellows. There has not, for quite some time, been a guest list as intriguing as the one...
No time left
Updated 06 Feb, 2025

No time left

Climate change concerns continue to remain a footnote as politics dominates national discourse, surfacing only when disaster strikes.
Karim Aga Khan
06 Feb, 2025

Karim Aga Khan

PRINCE Karim Aga Khan was a man who straddled various worlds and cultures. Beyond his role as spiritual leader of ...
Cotton production
06 Feb, 2025

Cotton production

PAKISTAN’S cotton crop is on the ropes. The crop output has been falling since FY15, when the country harvested a...