Trump Doubles Usaid Staff He’s Keeping While Calling For Agency Shutdown

President Donald Trump on Friday said he was all-in on shutting down the U.S. Agency for International Development.

“CLOSE IT DOWN!” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. He accused the agency of spending money fraudulently and said that there’s nothing “the radical left” can do about it.

But the administration at the same time has revised upward the number of USAID staff it plans to keep from 300 to 600 out of more than 10,000 previously, according to three people familiar with its plans granted anonymity to discuss the details.

Most of the people who will remain work in the departments delivering humanitarian assistance and global health programs such as fighting Ebola outbreaks, said one of the people, who is familiar with the Trump administration's plans for USAID.

Some of the people working with countries such as Haiti and Ukraine will also be kept, the person said.

Thousands more people the agency employed will remain on paid leave indefinitely amid the Trump administration’s efforts to shrink the institution and reorganize foreign aid in line with the "America First" policy.

The administration isn’t keeping any personnel in the departments focusing on democracy, human rights and governance; inclusive growth, partnerships and innovation; and in its Bureau for Conflict Prevention and Stabilization.

The White House and some congressional Republicans have listed projects funding LGBTQ+ cultural projects as cause to shutter the agency.

The American Foreign Service Association, which represents foreign service officers, and the American Federation of Government Employees, a union for civil servants, sued the Trump administration late Thursday, arguing that the president could not unilaterally close down the agency.

Congressional Democrats have also protested the administration’s moves.

The House Foreign Affairs Committee will hold a hearing next week on the actions at USAID spearheaded by Elon Musk, the head of Trump’s unofficial Department of Government Efficiency.

The hearing, announced Thursday night to panel members by Chair Brian Mast (R-Fla.), is titled “The USAID Betrayal” and is set to examine Republicans’ concerns about U.S. foreign aid policies.

The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on USAID’s remaining personnel and focus.