Lisa Correnti Executive Vice President | The Center for Family and Human Rights

The Trump administration has initiated significant changes at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), a move described by President Trump as a response to what he called "radical left lunatics" running the agency. This week, control over USAID, which employs over 10,000 people and disbursed more than $40 billion to 130 countries last year, was taken by the White House.

The agency has faced allegations of funding activities such as abortion, terrorism, LGBT projects, and censoring American citizens. Accusations of insubordination and covering up controversial programs have also been raised.

On Friday, a team from the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, took control of USAID's operations. They gained access to computers and escorted officials out. Over 1,000 employees were instructed not to return on Monday, and all staff were placed on administrative leave by Tuesday.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio justified the actions by citing "rank insubordination" within USAID. He stated that every foreign aid expenditure must be reviewed to ensure alignment with U.S. interests.

Elon Musk expressed his criticism through an X post, labeling USAID as a "criminal organization."

Critics have long called for increased scrutiny of USAID's operations. An inspector general report released on January 23 highlighted failures in vetting foreign aid recipients and monitoring fund usage.

Reports circulated over the weekend about other controversial programs managed by USAID. Mike Benz from the Foundation for Freedom Online accused USAID of being involved in global censorship efforts and schemes to overturn foreign governments.

Benz remains doubtful about reform efforts. He warned that merely ending USAID would not resolve underlying issues unless problematic grants are permanently stopped.

United Nations officials have raised concerns that the freeze on aid delivery could endanger lives since the U.S. provides nearly half of global humanitarian assistance.

The future direction of USAID's overhaul is uncertain. The agency's existence is supported by Congressional legislation, making its complete dissolution unlikely despite Democratic Senators calling recent actions "illegal."

USAID was originally created through an executive order by John F. Kennedy and later formalized under Bill Clinton's administration.