Trump Suspends Dozens of Top Officials for Blocking His Freeze on Foreign Aid
By EMILY GOODIN, SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT
Published: 09:31 EST, 28 January 2025 | Updated: 10:38 EST, 28 January 2025
President Donald Trump has suspended dozens of government officials for trying to circumvent his executive order on freezing all foreign aid.
Dozens of career government officials at the U.S. Agency for International Development were placed on leave on Monday. One agency staffer told the Wall Street Journal that 57 people were affected.
"We have identified several actions within USAID that appear to be designed to circumvent the President’s Executive orders and the mandate from the American people," said the newly installed acting administrator, Jason Gray, in an email obtained by The Washington Post.
"As a result, we have placed a number of USAID employees on administrative leave with full pay and benefits until further notice."
Freeze on Foreign Aid
Trump, on January 24th, declared the State Department and the U.S. AID "shall not provide foreign assistance" until a high-level review of the programs is completed, except to Israel and Egypt and in severe cases where emergency food assistance is needed.
The 90-day pause is to ensure all programs conform with Trump’s "America First" policy and the administration threatened "disciplinary action" for any staff ignoring the orders.
Impact of the Freeze
The U.S. has an annual $60 billion annual foreign aid budget and is the world’s No. 1 provider of humanitarian aid.
On Saturday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a "stop-work" order, meaning non-government organizations or charity groups had to stop using any American funding they have already received, while the programs were reviewed.
That affects everything from childhood vaccine programs to counter-terrorism training.
It’s halted a program to combat HIV worldwide that is credited with saving about 25 million lives, stopped supplies to a 40,000-person refugee camp in Syria, and hurt famine-stricken Sudan, where at least 24.6 million people urgently need food assistance.
And it’s stopped military assistance to Ukraine, Jordan and Taiwan.
Humanitarian Groups’ Concerns
Humanitarian groups have flooded the State Department with waiver requests, arguing the funding is critical and lives could be lost.
However, the State Department argues the three-month pause is needed so the agency can ensure the foreign-assistance programs are efficient and support Trump’s "America First" agenda.
Waiver Process
Waivers must go through two layers of scrutiny: one from USAID leadership and another by Rubio.
"Any waiver must be thoroughly justified to demonstrate that the specific assistance for which the waiver is sought is necessary for lifesaving purposes, cannot be performed by current U.S. direct hire staff, or would otherwise pose significant risks to national security," a memo obtained by Reuters said.
All foreign assistance programs will undergo "comprehensive review" during the pause in spending, the memo says. "It is important to emphasize that it is no longer business as usual. Every program will be thoroughly scrutinized."
Conclusion
The suspension of dozens of government officials for trying to circumvent Trump’s executive order on freezing all foreign aid has raised concerns about the impact on humanitarian programs and the ability of the U.S. to provide assistance to countries in need.
FAQs
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What is the purpose of the freeze on foreign aid?
The freeze is designed to ensure that all foreign-assistance programs are efficient and support Trump’s "America First" policy. -
How many government officials have been suspended?
At least 57 government officials at the U.S. Agency for International Development have been placed on leave. -
What programs are affected by the freeze?
The freeze affects a wide range of programs, including childhood vaccine programs, counter-terrorism training, and humanitarian assistance to countries in need. -
How will waivers be granted?
Waivers must go through two layers of scrutiny: one from USAID leadership and another by Rubio.