Trump admin to slash 2,000 USAID jobs, put thousands more staff on leave – National [Video]

The Trump administration said Sunday that it is eliminating 2,000 positions at the U.S. Agency for International Development and placing all but a fraction of other staffers worldwide on leave.

It comes after a federal judge allowed the administration to move forward with pulling thousands of USAID staffers off the job in the United States and around the world. U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols rejected pleas to keep his temporary stay on the government’s plan in a lawsuit from employees.

“As of 11:59 p.m. EST on Sunday, February 23, 2025, all USAID direct hire personnel, with the exception of designated personnel responsible for mission-critical functions, core leadership and/or specially designated programs, will be placed on administrative leave globally,” according to the notices sent to USAID workers and viewed by The Associated Press.

At the same time, the agency said it is cutting the U.S.-based workforce by about 2,000 employees.

The move …