(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) The Trump administration placed two top officials at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) on administrative leave after they attempted to block Trump aides from entering USAID’s headquarters in Washington.
The blockade was particularly striking, as unelected bureaucrats were impeding representatives of Donald Trump, the duly elected president.
Critics could suggest this serves as an example of the unchecked power bureaucrats believe they wield. The suspended officials are USAID Director of Security John Voorhees and his deputy, according to liberal CNN.
USAID, the federal government’s humanitarian arm, has come under scrutiny in recent years for exploiting taxpayer dollars to fund radical left-wing initiatives, including climate change and “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” (DEI) programs.
Personnel from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) had sought to access USAID’s security systems and employees’ files. Anonymous sources claimed that some of these documents were classified, though they provided no evidence to support these claims.
DOGE official Katie Miller countered the accusations, saying, “No classified material was accessed without proper security clearances.” Elon Musk, who leads DOGE, issued a blunt rebuke of USAID, calling it a “criminal organization” and adding, “Time for it to die.”
Did you know that USAID, using YOUR tax dollars, funded bioweapon research, including COVID-19, that killed millions of people? https://t.co/YVwyKA7ifs
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 2, 2025
According to Politico, USAID officials physically blocked DOGE representatives from entering USAID’s offices. DOGE’s officials threatened to involve the U.S. Marshals Service to gain entry. Only then were they allowed access.
A USAID staffer anonymously claimed that DOGE was given access to several “secure spaces,” including the Office of Security and the Executive Secretariat.
“We understand that they sought access to, like out of their way to seek access to the Office of the Inspector General, but it’s not clear that they were able to access that space,” the staffer added.
Politico reported that the Trump administration plans to abolish the agency and fold it into the Department of State, currently led by Secretary Marco Rubio.
Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., appeared to confirm this reporting telling CBS News on Sunday that the agency “is likely to be going to be rolled more closely under Secretary Rubio.”
USAID’s website and social media pages were shut down on Saturday. The Department of State then launched a landing page on its website.
HFAC Chair Brian Mast (R-FL) SCHOOLS Margaret Brennan on wasteful spending in the State Department, after she questioned him about the "purging" of personnel and the need to freeze aid. pic.twitter.com/ajT4OQQ4Ym
— Jorge Bonilla (@BonillaJL) February 2, 2025
