USAID Website Goes Offline Amid Policy Shifts Under Trump
The website of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has unexpectedly gone offline without any explanation from the administration. On his first day back in office, President Donald Trump suspended foreign aid, leading to mass layoffs and the shutdown of development projects. CNN reported the development.
Democrats have expressed concerns that the Trump administration may seek to dissolve USAID as an independent agency and bring it under the Department of State. However, Trump and his Republican allies argue that many foreign aid initiatives are unnecessary and serve to advance a liberal social agenda.
Opposing Trump’s move, Senator Chris Murphy stated that dissolving a congressionally authorized agency through an executive order would be a violation of the Constitution. Meanwhile, billionaire Elon Musk voiced his support for USAID’s dissolution, posting on X (formerly Twitter), “If it was created by executive order, it can be eliminated by executive order.”
While the State Department has already directed that emergency humanitarian aid continue, uncertainty looms over which projects will remain operational. Republicans are pushing to place USAID’s budget under the control of the State Department, while Democrats continue their efforts to maintain the agency’s independence.
