Amid ongoing turmoil inside the United States Agency for International Development, sources told ABC News that Department of Government Efficiency staffers have moved to take over offices, escalating tensions as more senior staff members are locked out of internal systems, additional employees are placed on administrative leave, and the agency’s newly appointed chief of staff resigned, as the Elon Musk-led agency works to assert control over the USAID, which oversees foreign aid.
According to sources familiar with the incident, a dramatic scene occurred on Friday night when a group of individuals identifying as State Department employees and DOGE representatives arrived at the USAID offices in the Ronald Reagan Building and demanded immediate access to all offices. It is unclear whether DOGE representatives have any legal power to make such requests.
“It looked like people who dressed up for their first job interview,” according to one observer.
After being denied access, the group informed security personnel that if they were not allowed in, they would contact the United States Marshals Service, according to sources. The guards eventually complied, according to the source.
According to ABC News, two top security officials at USAID were placed on administrative leave after refusing to comply on Saturday, amid continued upheaval at the agency.
According to ABC News, more USAID personnel were placed on administrative leave, and many were shut out of internal systems after conflicts with DOGE agents attempting to take over the agency.
During the tumult, USAID Chief of Staff Matt Hopson quit just days after Trump appointed him to the role, according to sources. It was unclear whether Hopson’s resignation was linked to changes inside the organization.
According to a source familiar with the subject, Musk has been attending USIAD staff calls this week as part of the agency’s restructuring. And as rumors of disputes within USAID surfaced, Musk unleashed a volley of insults on the agency via his social media platform X.
“The USAID is a criminal organization. “It’s time for it to die,” Musk wrote in one post.
When shown Musk’s X postings aimed at USAID, a top official for the agency told ABC News, “The warp-speed of this mafia-like takeover has shaken USAID staff to the core.”
“We’re not criminals. Where are Republican Senators Graham and Risch, who have previously supported the agency’s strong work? “Will they speak out?” The official inquired. “Yes, USAID needs reform, like all agencies, but we’d expect this to come with a degree of thought and involvement from Congress.”
Inside the Ronald Reagan Building, posters and banners representing USAID were removed and placed in halls, according to ABC News sources. Some USAID personnel who were placed on administrative leave had their ID badges and work computers confiscated, according to sources.
In reaction to reports of DOGE’s activities at USAID, DOGE spokesperson Katie Miller stated on X that “No classified material was accessed without proper security clearances.” When approached for a statement, the USAID press office did not react.
The organization got access to USAID’s internal systems on Friday, including the agency’s website and numerous important databases, according to persons familiar with the situation. Among the systems were the Development Evaluation Clearinghouse, which holds reports on previous and continuing USAID initiatives, and the Development Information Solution (DIS), which tracks congressionally mandated and performance-related data for all USAID programs around the world.
According to sources, the group also took control of the Phoenix software system, which is used to track and administer USAID’s budgeting, accounting, and financial activities. According to insiders, the system went down over the weekend, causing shockwaves among USAID contractors who are concerned about not being paid for their job. Phoenix is relied on by major corporations that handle worldwide supply chains, including those for programs such as antiretroviral (ARV) treatments and other vital medicines to battle HIV/AIDS.
According to ABC News, the Trump administration’s foreign aid cuts are being managed by Peter Marocco, a campaign ally in the Office of Foreign Assistance who was allegedly captured on camera inside the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
According to ABC News, Trump ally Mark Kevin Lloyd has been named acting assistant administrator for USAID’s Bureau of Conflict Prevention and Stabilization (CPS), which handles a significant budget. Lloyd, a Tea Party member, served as Trump’s Virginia field director in 2016 before becoming USAID’s religious freedom adviser in 2020.
The instability within the agency has prompted people familiar with USAID to ask if the agency’s reorganization signals the end of US international development efforts or a planned consolidation of resources under the State Department. Some believe the administration has the potential to use USAID’s existing infrastructure — its contracting officers, worldwide reach, and established contract mechanisms — to rapidly divert aid programs far beyond the State Department’s capacity.
After the USAID website went down on Saturday, the agency’s chief information officer issued an internal email indicating that the site is “currently unavailable” and that they have no idea when it would be restored, according to an email acquired by ABC News.
“M/CIO informs users that USAID.gov is now inaccessible. We will send a follow-up notice once we have additional information. At this moment, there is no word on when the site will be online,” the email, which was received Saturday evening, reads.
According to an ABC News source, these letters generally include information about the team’s efforts to restore access, but this notice did not do so.
Some employees interpret the “no update” on when the site will be restored as “a decision made to turn out the (internet) lights.”