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 authority to make such demands.
“It looked like people who dressed up for their first job interview,” according to an observer.
After being denied entry, the group informed security guards 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 ongoing turmoil at the agency.
According to ABC News, more USAID employees were placed on administrative leave, and many were locked out of internal systems during clashes with DOGE representatives attempting to take over the agency.
During the upheaval, USAID Chief of Staff Matt Hopson resigned just days after Trump appointed him to the position, according to sources. It was unclear whether Hopson’s resignation was due to changes within the agency.
According to a source familiar with the matter, Musk has been attending USIAD staff calls this week as part of the agency’s restructuring. And as reports of clashes within USAID surfaced, Musk unleashed a barrage of attacks 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 posts aimed at USAID, a senior 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 good 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 flags featuring USAID were removed and stacked in hallways, according to ABC News sources. Some USAID employees who were placed on administrative leave had their ID badges and work computers confiscated, according to sources.
In response to reports about DOGE’s activities at USAID, DOGE spokesperson Katie Miller stated on X that “No classified material was accessed without proper security clearances.” When asked for a comment, the USAID press office did not respond.
The group gained access to USAID’s internal systems on Friday, including the agency’s website and several critical databases, according to sources familiar with the situation.
Among the systems were the Development Evaluation Clearinghouse, which houses reports on previous and ongoing USAID programs, 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 manage USAID’s budgeting, accounting, and financial transactions.
According to sources, the system went down over the weekend, causing shockwaves among USAID contractors who are concerned about not being paid for their work.
Phoenix is relied on by major firms that manage global supply chains, including those for initiatives such as antiretroviral (ARV) drugs and other essential medicines to combat HIV/AIDS.
According to ABC News, the Trump administration’s foreign aid cuts are being overseen by Peter Marocco, a campaign ally in the Office of Foreign Assistance who was allegedly caught 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 oversees a significant budget. Lloyd, a Tea Party activist, served as Trump’s Virginia field director in 2016 before becoming USAID’s religious freedom adviser in 2020.
The chaos within the agency has prompted those familiar with USAID to question whether the agency’s overhaul signals the end of US international development efforts or a strategic consolidation of resources under the State Department.
Some believe the administration has the potential to use USAID’s existing infrastructure — its contracting officers, global footprint, and established contract mechanisms — to rapidly redirect aid programs far beyond the State Department’s capacity.
After the USAID website went down on Saturday, the agency’s chief information officer sent an internal email stating that the site is “currently unavailable” and that they have no idea when it will be restored, according to an email obtained by ABC News.
“M/CIO informs users that USAID.gov is currently unavailable. We will send a follow-up notice once we have more information. At this time, there is no word on when the site will be available,” the email, which was sent Saturday evening, reads.
According to an ABC News source, these notices typically 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.”
