Posted on 02/07/2025 6:10:19 PM PST by algore
A USAID worker who managed to survive widespread cuts by DOGE has described the horror watching their coworkers being fired.
President Trump has gone scorched-earth against the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) this week, claiming it is 'corrupt'.
Amidst huge amounts of layoffs at the agency, one staff member described to NPR how during a virtual staff meeting on Monday people started leaving one by one as their access was cut off.
The staffer said: 'It was like from a horror film', after the administration ordered at least 8,000 staffers and contractors onto permanent leave or furlough.
"There is no bottom to this stupidity," a separate USAID staffer told the public broadcaster. Another added that government "Might as well shut it all down. 290 people won't be able to do anything."
The Trump administration had originally planned to keep 297 staff but that number has now risen to 611 according to a notice issued late on Thursday night.
On Friday, one worker could be seen crying as crews used duct tape to block out the agency name on a sign outside of its headquarters, as they also tore down large lettering over the entrance way.
The department was the first target of Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) which is gutting spending and the federal government workfarce.
Earlier this week, the administration gave staff overseas 30 days, starting Friday, to return to the US, with the government paying for their travel and moving costs.
Workers who choose to stay longer, unless they received a specific hardship waiver, may have to cover their own expenses.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Daily Mail and Yellow Journalism are like peas in a pod.
Ruthless nerds.
Blabber mouth. What little grace they got, they might lose.
“a virtual staff meeting on Monday people started leaving one by one as their access was cut off”
That should have been live on X for everyone to enjoy.
Lol.
Are they more ruthless than the IRS ?
Please interview me—I approved your grant!
Bloodbath , ruthless ,, the wankers at the Daily Mail
Apparently, they wouldn’t have been in their sights had they not attempted to circumvent Trumps policies more than any other agency.
welcome to the real world pal. You apparently never worked in a private sector job where another company comes in and buys yours and entire sections get unceremoniously shown the door. You thought you went into the government and had a job for life. Sorry for your pain as something like that in the private sector is always painful BUT, it happens and ... tough, find another job.
yep, might as well shut it down.
I saw that on X. I wondered how and why the administration honed in on USAID. I had never heard of it.
Wondering how much they influenced the Vietnam war.
Jim, what do you make of all the popup judges trying to shut down every move Trump makes?
Any ideas how to counter? Ignoring won’t help, it gives the agency in question the right to resist, subvert, or ignore Trump’s EO. Other ideas?
Alright, it is working. DOGE doing the work American IGs won’t.
That person is smarter than the average "staffer."
USAID is one half of of the forein foot print of the U.S. unregulated deep state. It is “foreign policy” not by the elected government but by an “independent” agency. Nothing “democratic” about it. Whatever grants and aid remain, if approved by the President, have to be admisitered by the Secretary of State through a deputy the Secretary of State appoints and manages. Foreign policy has to be 100% the prerogative, proactively, by the President and the officers that report to the President. Any “independent” agency will be unresponsive to the elected government. NED is the same problem.
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