News has emerged that the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the U.S. government's foreign aid agency, will be shut down. Elon Musk, head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), strongly asserted today (the 3rd) on his social media X that "USAID is a criminal organization, and it is time for it to disappear." Musk added that USAID is already in a "state of disrepair," and that President Donald Trump also agreed to its closure.

Meanwhile, President Trump criticized USAID yesterday (the 2nd), stating to reporters that it is "operated by several radical lunatics." This statement seems to have come in the context of the Trump administration's America First policy, which has led to an unprecedented freeze on foreign aid, halting most of USAID's ongoing assistance and laying off thousands of staff.

USAID (U.S. Agency for International Development) is an independent administrative agency of the U.S. government responsible for civilian diplomatic aid and development support worldwide. The agency engages in various support activities in areas such as economic development, promotion of democracy, and humanitarian assistance, playing a role in implementing U.S. foreign policy and international development strategies.

For the fiscal year 2023, USAID manages a budget of approximately $40 billion (less than 1% of the federal budget) and provides support to 130 countries. Major recipient countries include Ukraine, Ethiopia, Jordan, Congo, and Somalia. This agency was established through the 'Foreign Assistance Act' by John F. Kennedy in 1961, and until the COVID pandemic, health support, such as AIDS eradication, was a major focus, but since 2022, humanitarian assistance has taken precedence, and since 2023, support for Ukraine has become significant.

Currently, USAID's official website has been inaccessible since the 1st. For reference, USAID is the world's largest single donor organization, executing a budget of approximately $72 billion for the year 2023 for women's health in conflict areas, securing clean drinking water, AIDS treatment, energy security, and anti-corruption activities, and provided about 42% of global humanitarian assistance according to last year's UN tally.

The shutdown of USAID stems from an executive order by President Donald Trump. On the 20th of last month, shortly after taking office, President Trump signed an executive order freezing U.S. foreign development aid for 90 days, stating that "funds like government grants have been frozen or some discretionary spending has been temporarily halted." He explained that this measure was to quickly investigate long-standing fraud, dishonesty, waste, and misuse of funds within the government. USAID was a key target of this freeze.

Furthermore, on the 1st of this month, reports emerged that eight employees from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led by Elon Musk attempted to enter USAID to access confidential material storage locations. According to the Washington Post, they tried to enter a space designated for reviewing highly classified information related to government contracts, but USAID blocked their entry, stating that "only authorized personnel may enter." The following day, two senior security officials from USAID were notified of their suspension in relation to this incident.