WASHINGTON — Staff at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) were instructed to stay out of the agency’s Washington headquarters on Monday, according to an internal notice, following billionaire Elon Musk’s announcement that President Donald Trump had agreed to shut down the agency.
USAID employees reported that over 600 staffers were locked out of the agency’s computer systems overnight. Those still able to access the system received emails notifying them that, “at the direction of Agency leadership,” the headquarters would be closed to personnel on Monday, February 3.
These developments follow Musk’s early Monday statement, where he revealed that Trump had agreed to shut down USAID after Musk discussed the matter with him. “It became apparent that it’s not an apple with a worm in it,” Musk said during a live session on X Spaces. “What we have is just a ball of worms. You’ve got to basically get rid of the whole thing. It’s beyond repair.”
Musk, who is overseeing a sweeping civilian review of the federal government with Trump’s backing, confirmed, “We’re shutting it down.”
Musk, Trump, and several Republican lawmakers have increasingly criticized USAID, accusing it of promoting liberal agendas through its humanitarian, development, and security programs in more than 120 countries.
The situation escalated over the weekend, when the Trump administration placed two top security chiefs at USAID on leave after they reportedly refused to provide classified material to Musk’s government-inspection teams, according to two U.S. officials. Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) had previously conducted a similar operation at the Treasury Department, accessing sensitive information, including Social Security and Medicare payment systems. The Washington Post also reported that a senior Treasury official had resigned over the access granted to Musk’s team.
Democratic lawmakers have strongly condemned these actions, arguing that Trump lacks the constitutional authority to shut down USAID without congressional approval. They have also criticized Musk’s team for accessing sensitive government information during its inspections of federal agencies and programs.
Adding to the uncertainty, USAID’s website mysteriously disappeared on Saturday without explanation. The agency has been a major target of the Trump administration’s ongoing crackdown on federal agencies and programs.
“They’ve been run by a bunch of radical lunatics. And we’re getting them out,” Trump said to reporters on Sunday night, referring to USAID.
Musk and Trump’s remarks came while Secretary of State Marco Rubio was overseas in Central America on his first official trip. Rubio has not commented publicly on any plans to shut down USAID.
The Trump administration, alongside Rubio, has implemented an unprecedented freeze on foreign assistance, shutting down much of USAID’s global aid programs. This has led to thousands of layoffs at aid organizations and resulted in furloughs and leaves that have decimated the agency’s leadership and staff in Washington.
Peter Marocco, a returning political appointee from Trump’s first term, is reportedly playing a key role in enforcing the shutdown. USAID employees suspect that individuals with visitor badges, who have been seen asking questions of staff inside the agency’s headquarters, are part of Musk’s DOGE team.
In response, Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren condemned the actions, posting on Sunday, “Trump is allowing Musk to access people’s personal information and shut down government funding. We must do everything in our power to push back and protect people from harm.” Warren did not elaborate on specific actions but expressed strong opposition to the moves.
