Donald Trump “disbands” the State : Volunteerly to the CIA, closes USAID, the world’s largest donor of humanitarian aid

As a bank or something like that, it is the most famous intelligence agency in the world, as the Wall Street Journal reveals, on Tuesday (04/02/25) Donald Trump offered all CIA personnel the possibility of voluntary exit. CORVERSE If the information is confirmed, the CIA will become the first intelligence agency to begin a wave of contract-solving under the pressure of the Republican president, who promised during his campaign deep cuts in public spending. Furthermore, the CIA suspended recruitment of candidates to whom it had already made employment offers, according to newspaper information. The anonymous newspaper source pointed out that offers may be withdrawn in cases of candidates whose profile does not meet the new CIA goals. Among them: the fight against the drug cartels, the contribution to the new trade war launched by President Trump, as well as actions against China. CORVERSE However, the CIA cannot be faced with new problems, as Mr Trump made a statement-shock yesterday (04/02/25) on the critical region of the Near East: he said the US would acquire the “ownership” of the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian female who has suffered a huge disaster after 16 months of war between the Israeli army and Hamas. Finally, USAID Although the re-establishment of the intelligence service, the dissolution of another federal agency, the agency for international development (USAID), has not yet been confirmed. The approximately 10,000 USAID workers have been on holiday since the day after Friday, according to its new administration. Thousands of workers abroad will also be recalled. In an unprecedented move, the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, to whom American President Donald Trump has been tasked to “repair” federal services, said Monday (03/02/25) that USAID “will close”. Already dozens of high-ranking USAID officials have been put on holiday, while workers have been excluded from access to the service headquarters in Washington. “On Friday, February 7 at 23:59 (local time-06:59 Greek time on Saturday) all personnel working for USAID will be on holiday worldwide,” the agency said in the announcement posted on its website, which has been put out of service since Saturday. Some employees “responsible for the operation of critical missions (…) and special programmes” are excluded from the decision. For USAID staff abroad Washington plans, in collaboration with the State Department, to pay money for their return to the US within 30 days, the announcement noted. “Thank you for your services,” he concluded. The decision has caused shock to this agency that manages a budget of more than $40 billion, which is intended to provide humanitarian aid and development around the world. In USAID work about 10,000 people, two thirds of whom are abroad, according to Congressional Research Service, an independent body of the American Congress. Trump asked as early as January 20, immediately after his inauguration to the US presidency, to freeze almost all of Washington’s humanitarian aid to the world through USAID, as part of his policy “the Americas first”, causing shock to humanitarian organizations. At the same time he asked Musk, who has described USAID as a “criminal organisation”, to reduce the service budget. On Monday U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stressed that the country is not asking “philancies”, explaining that it has been temporarily put in charge of USAID and accusing its staff of “not willing to answer simple questions” about service programs. By letter he informed Congress of the restructuring of USAID, pointing out that some of its services may be absorbed by the State Department and others will be abolished. Based on legislation on its establishment, passed by Congress in 1961, USAID is an independent organization. Consequently the American president does not have the authority to abolish it without the approval of Congress. USAID is the world’s largest donor of humanitarian aid. In 2023 the U.S. offered 72 billion dollars of help around the world, programs covering health services for women, access to clean water, HIV/AIDS, energy security and tackling corruption. In 2024 the agency offered 42% of all humanitarian aid recorded by the UN.