Trump’s rapid dismantling of USAID leaves workers around world concerned for safety and futures

Every (diplomatic) mission has a certain amount of budget that they get from headquarters to spend on these things, and since this was unplanned, no one’s clear on where the money is actually going to come from and how it’s going to be paid for,

he explained

My scary panic button appears to be working, but I have not yet confirmed with security — the app is tied to my USAID email which is deactivated,

they told CNN, noting they have heard from colleagues in other hotspots

I cannot say for sure whether they [the embassy] are responsible for my safety and evacuation, if needed,

a USAID contractor posted in a dangerous location echoed

With my contracting arrangement, I’m responsible for paying my hotel bill (at a hotel I am obliged to stay at) and expenses and seeking reimbursement and per diem thereafter — due to the uncertainty around my contract status, I am unsure if and how I will be able to seek reimbursement,

the USAID official in a dangerous location said

It’s beyond surreal. It feels like a cruel joke,

said another USAID official posted in a sensitive location

We are all emotionally distraught,

one USAID diplomat posted overseas told CNN

It is a shameful, vile, unprecedented way to treat public servants, whose safety is at stake following vicious, defamatory Musk statements,

one USAID official said

We’re talking at least $20 million, if not more, to get all those folks back here to America,

he said

There’s been no explanation as to how to make this happen,

he said

The USAID are screaming like they're part of a prison riot because they don't want us reviewing the spending. But that's all Mr. Musk is doing. And he's finding some pretty interesting stuff."

Senator John Kennedy, a Louisiana Republican, said to Fox News' Sean Hannity on Tuesday in part

USAID saves lives, promotes stability, and supports people in crisis. I joined Minnesota Now on @MPRnews to talk about how people around the world will quite literally lose their lives and why Elon Musk and Trump don't have the authority to dismantle it."

Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar, of Minnesota, on X on Wednesday

So apparently USAID financed ultra-progressive Politico in Brussels and basically the entire left-wing media in Hungary under the previous US administration. And they called me 'disruptor of the year'... I think the world owes a debt of gratitude to President @realDonaldTrump for uncovering and putting an end to this dark conspiracy."

Trump-ally Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on X on Wednesday

Liz Cheney, who led Trump's impeachment and the mass imprisonment campaign against thousands of Trump supporters, was spawned out of USAID."

Earlier Wednesday, Musk reposted a comment from Mike Benz, the executive director for the Foundation For Freedom Online, speaking on Cheney's history with the USAID saying

While we don’t agree on all issues, we wholeheartedly agree that USAID and America’s foreign assistance programs are vital to our interests, that the career men and women of USAID have served each of us well, and that it is the duty of the Administration and Congress to swiftly protect the Agency’s statutory role,

wrote Samantha Power, Gayle Smith, Andrew Natsios, J. Brian Atwood and Peter McPherson

Failure to maintain the global engagement that foreign aid enables, to honor the men and women of our civilian service as we do those in the military, or weaken and even destroy the Agency is to the benefit of neither political party and the detriment of all Americans,

they wrote

USAID may move, reorganize, and integrate certain missions, bureaus, and offices into the Department of State, and the remainder of the Agency may be abolished consistent with applicable law,

he told lawmakers earlier this week

Congress needs to stand up and defend USAid. Conservatives have told us that they care about these issues for years,

Nicovich said

This is showing that you can do a slash-and-burn to the American governmental apparatus, including foreign aid,

Joia Mukherjee, chief medical officer of the non-profit Partners in Health, told the Guardian

We are the moral force of the world,

Markey said

You know that what is being said about USAid is not true,

Konyndyk said