Government Officials Put on Leave After Allegedly Trying to Circumvent Trump’s Orders

A USAID worker watches as relief supplies are unloaded at Manila's international airport on Oct. 13, 2009. Jay Directo/AFP via Getty Images

Officials who work at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) have been placed on leave because they allegedly tried to find a way around executive orders from President Donald Trump, according to a memorandum sent to agency staffers on Jan. 27.

New leadership at USAID identified several actions in the agency that “appeared to be designed to circumvent the President’s Executive Orders and the mandate from the American people,” USAID’s acting administrator, Jason Gray, said in the memo.

“As a result, we have placed a number of USAID employees on administrative leave with full pay and benefits until further notice while we complete our analysis of these actions,” he said.

USAID did not respond to a request for more information. It was not clear how many USAID officials have been placed on leave.

“People are calling it the Monday afternoon massacre,” said Francisco Bencosme, who was USAID’s China policy lead until earlier this month. “This decision undermines our national security and emboldens our adversaries. ... Instead of focusing on China, North Korea, or Russia, the Trump Administration is going after public servants who have served multiple administrations—including the first Trump administration.”

Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), the ranking Democrat member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said in a statement that the move was harmful and had no benefit. He described the officials removed as apolitical.

USAID is an independent federal agency that leads U.S. efforts on international development and humanitarian assistance to other countries. Examples of the agency’s work include providing resources to foreign farmers and helping countries establish and improve schools.

Republicans have been critical of some USAID priorities, including providing funds to Afghanistan to distribute contraceptives.

“USAID needs to be dismantled,” Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.) wrote on social media platform X on Jan. 27.

Trump has signed a flurry of executive orders since taking office. Some pertain to USAID and the State Department, with which USAID works regularly.

One order suspended U.S. foreign aid for 90 days. The White House said the suspension was because the U.S. government’s foreign policy is “not aligned with American interests and in many cases antithetical to American values.”

A spokesperson for the State Department said on Jan. 26 that Secretary of State Marco Rubio, consistent with the order, has paused all foreign assistance funded by or through the State Department and the USAID.

“He is initiating a review of all foreign assistance programs to ensure they are efficient and consistent with U.S. foreign policy under the America First agenda,” spokesperson Tammy Bruce said.

A second memo, sent over the weekend, informed USAID staff that the pause on foreign aid spending meant “a complete halt,” with exceptions for emergency humanitarian food assistance and officials returning to their duty stations.

António Guterres, secretary-general of the United Nations, on Jan. 27 called for the U.S. government to consider additional exemptions “to ensure the continued delivery of critical development and humanitarian activities for the most vulnerable communities around the world, whose lives and livelihoods depend on this support.”

Reuters contributed to this report.