The Trump administration removed two top security officials from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) over the weekend after they attempted to prevent representatives from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing restricted areas, CNN reports.
The removals are part of a broader effort by Trump’s team to strip USAID of its independence. Nearly 100 senior career staff members have been placed on leave as discussions continue about shifting the agency under State Department control.
A senior Senate Democratic aide, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that DOGE personnel entered USAID headquarters without security clearances and were initially turned away by agency security officers. However, the officers were allegedly threatened with action by the federal Marshals Service.
Shortly afterward, USAID’s security director, John Voorhees, and his deputy were removed from their positions. DOGE officials accessed offices containing classified materials and personal data, though it remains unclear what information was obtained. In response, DOGE spokesperson Katie Miller said on social media that "no classified material was accessed without proper security clearances."
The shake-up has raised legal concerns, with congressional Democrats warning that dismantling USAID’s independence could violate U.S. law.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair Jeanne Shaheen has formally requested an explanation from Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Meanwhile, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Brian Mast voiced support for placing USAID under State Department oversight: "There needs to be more command and control," according to Reuters.
The agency’s website has been offline since Feb. 2 afternoon, a sign that USAID could be nearing its dissolution. The agency’s funding supports initiatives ranging from women’s health in conflict zones and access to clean water to HIV/AIDS treatment, energy security, and anti-corruption programs.
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, USAID has played a vital role in supporting the country. The agency has provided $2.6 billion in humanitarian aid, $5 billion in development assistance, and more than $30 billion in direct budget support. This funding has helped rebuild schools damaged by Russian attacks, finance bomb shelters, and supply hospitals with advanced medical equipment.
Billionaire Elon Musk, whom Trump appointed to lead a federal cost-cutting panel, has ramped up his attacks on USAID, calling it "a criminal organization" on his social media platform X and declaring that it is "Time for it to die."
Daria Shulzhenko
(Updated: )
