USAID in crisis mode as leaked messages reveal chaos and disarray among HR staff

The Trump administration has pressed ahead with plans to close the US Agency for International Development, causing chaos for many employees. On Tuesday, the administration announced that it was removing practically all USAID employees from the field worldwide and would place the majority of direct-hire personnel on administrative leave by Friday.

USAID employees have told of the chaos engulfing the agency in the wake of Trump's orders.

Mykola Tys/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images

According to an update from 2020, the agency's Foreign Service employs around 1,700 personnel. USAID officials in the United States have been working remotely for the past two days after learning on Monday that the office would be shuttered.

Two USAID employees, who requested anonymity to protect their careers, said that some personnel lost access to their work computers throughout the day on Tuesday in an apparent random pattern.

According to one of the sources, USAID's HR team was unaware of whose employees' access had been blocked and was attempting to assemble a list of impacted personnel on Tuesday.

Later that day, the new USAID chief, Pete Marocco, released a mail notification informing that they had been placed on paid administrative leave. Two employees said the administrative leave notification was delivered outside of normal working hours, with employees given little time before being shut out of their work accounts.

The note, which was attached to an email sent to staffers, said: "The purpose of this memorandum is to inform you that you are being placed on excused absence (known as administrative leave) with pay effective immediately, pursuant to ADS 480. You will remain on administrative leave until otherwise notified."

"You must be available by telephone and email during normal business hours, as it may be necessary for agency officials to contact you," the note said.

The email also required that employees submit their personal contact information, such as phone number, email address, and postal address, with an HR representative.

However, shortly thereafter, the majority of the employee relations team—including the employee with whom staffers had been asked to disclose personal information—was placed on administrative leave, according to one USAID employee.

When employees contacted the HR representative, they received an automated out-of-office email.

Pictures of USAID's efforts were taken down from office walls.

Staff members have described a chaotic atmosphere within the agency since Trump took office and his allies began to follow through on vows to cut federal spending.

Last week, several USAID employees were issued a "stop work" order and then placed on formal leave by the agency. Another USAID employee claimed that the lack of information following the "stop work" order had put them in a "limbo period" since last week.

"Everyone is applying for jobs, obviously," they said.

Elon Musk has also taken part in the campaign to shut down USAID.

Musk has been open about his desire to close the agency, describing it as a "ball of worms" and "beyond repair" in an interview broadcast on X (previously Twitter). The businessman further announced that he has President Trump's support in shutting it down.

Employees at USAID said that DOGE-linked personnel invaded their offices last week and acquired access to confidential material, including intelligence reports. The Trump administration placed two agency security officials on leave after they refused to hand up the sensitive data, according to reports. According to 404 Media, government attorneys have been working to transfer DOGE to a non-Freedom of Information Act status. According to the publication, DOGE personnel have been warned not to use Slack while attempting to do so.

On Monday, the agency advised employees of the office shutdown by text message, a warning system used for extreme weather alerts, and an email. According to two employees, the email address used to approach staff looked to be affiliated with Musk ally Gavin Kliger, who is 25 years old.

Three employees said that images of USAID's efforts that had been placed throughout the workplace were removed last week.

"They are trying to make an example of us because we are a small agency and the people we affect are not voters," another USAID employee noted. "If they can get away with their actions here, they will get more emboldened with larger agencies."

Bill Gates said Musk would not eliminate the agency if he knew what it did.

Many individuals have opposed the agency's dissolution, warning that it might have a terrible impact on vulnerable communities throughout the world.

Bill Gates, cofounder of Microsoft, told The View that he was "worried" about plans to cut USAID, arguing that it might result in "literally millions of deaths." When questioned about Musk's involvement in the push to shut down USAID, Gates said he didn't think the billionaire would close the agency if he knew what it did.

According to one website set up to track employment losses under the USAID stop-work order, an estimated 51,946 American jobs were destroyed, with more than 100,000 jobs affected internationally.

"This decision doesn't just affect those abroad; it weakens our country's global standing, disrupts critical aid efforts, and jeopardizes our own economic and national security," the website, which is operated by a collection of development professionals and consultants, said.

The figures were part of continuing reporting, according to the website, and were based on information from 52 groups. FA