Washington, D.C. — Employees of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) were instructed to stay away from the agency’s Washington headquarters on Monday, following an announcement by billionaire Elon Musk that President Donald Trump had agreed to shut it down. The directive, distributed to staff overnight, also coincided with reports of widespread system lockouts affecting over 600 employees.
Staff locked out, headquarters closed
Employees who remained logged into agency systems overnight said they received an email stating that, “at the direction of Agency leadership,” the headquarters building “will be closed to agency personnel on Monday, Feb. 3.” The closure follows a dramatic escalation in the administration’s efforts to curtail USAID’s operations.
The agency, which has overseen humanitarian, development, and security programs across more than 120 countries for six decades, has been under increasing scrutiny from Trump, Musk, and several Republican lawmakers, who have accused it of promoting liberal causes.
Musk’s intervention: “We’re shutting it down”
Musk, who is leading an unprecedented civilian review of the federal government with Trump’s backing, took to X Spaces early Monday to announce his discussions with the president regarding USAID’s fate.
“It became apparent that it’s not an apple with a worm in it,” Musk said. “What we have is just a ball of worms. You’ve got to basically get rid of the whole thing. It’s beyond repair.”
“We’re shutting it down,” he added.
Security concerns and classified access
Over the weekend, the Trump administration placed two senior security officials at USAID on leave after they refused to grant Musk’s government inspection teams access to restricted materials, according to a current and a former U.S. official who spoke with the Associated Press.
Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a newly created oversight initiative, has already conducted similar reviews across multiple agencies. Last week, DOGE operatives reportedly gained access to sensitive data within the Treasury Department, including Social Security and Medicare payment systems. The Washington Post reported that a senior Treasury official resigned over these access breaches.
Political and constitutional pushback
Democratic lawmakers have strongly condemned the move, arguing that Trump lacks the constitutional authority to unilaterally shut down USAID without congressional approval. They have also raised concerns over Musk’s involvement in accessing classified government information.
USAID has been one of the most heavily targeted agencies in Trump’s broader effort to overhaul federal institutions. The agency’s official website went offline on Saturday without explanation, further fueling speculation about its uncertain future.
Trump: “We’re getting them out”
Speaking to reporters Sunday night, Trump defended the move, stating: “It’s been run by a bunch of radical lunatics. And we’re getting them out.”
The announcement came while Secretary of State Marco Rubio was in Central America on his first foreign trip since taking office. Rubio has yet to publicly comment on the reported plans to dismantle USAID.
Global aid programs in jeopardy
The Trump administration has already imposed an unprecedented freeze on foreign assistance, effectively shutting down large portions of USAID’s global operations. The freeze has led to thousands of layoffs among international aid organizations and has resulted in widespread furloughs among USAID staff in Washington.
Peter Marocco, a returning Trump-era political appointee, has been instrumental in implementing the shutdown. Agency staff have reported seeing unidentified individuals with visitor badges questioning employees within the headquarters, whom they believe to be members of Musk’s DOGE task force.
As USAID personnel await further clarity on their future, the unprecedented move has sparked legal and political battles over the limits of executive power and the role of private individuals in government oversight.
