Written by Humra Pamuk, Maggie Michael and Lina Masri
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Trump administration urged USAID workers to join efforts to transform how Washington is allocated around the world in line with Trump’s “America First” policy. She threatened “disciplinary action” for any employee who ignored management orders.
A sharp memo sent Saturday to more than 10,000 USAID employees provided further guidance for Friday’s “stop work” directive that effectively placed a blanket freeze on U.S. foreign aid around the world. The memo, reviewed by Reuters, set expectations for the workforce about how Trump’s goals would be met.
“We have a responsibility to support the President in achieving his vision,” Ken Jackson, assistant administrator for administration and resources, wrote in the internal memo titled “Message and Expectation for the Workforce.”
“The President has given us a tremendous opportunity to transform the way we approach foreign aid for decades to come,” the memo said. Reuters confirmed the authenticity of the memo with several sources.
Since taking office last week, Trump has taken steps toward fulfilling his pledge to reshape a federal bureaucracy he believes is hostile to him during his 2017-2021 presidency. He reassigned or fired hundreds of federal workers in simultaneous movements against a range of agencies.
Hours after taking office, Trump ordered a 90-day pause in foreign aid to review if it aligned with his foreign policy priorities. On Friday, the State Department issued a worldwide stoppage order even for existing and allocated aid, calling into question billions of dollars in life-saving aid.
The United States is the largest aid donor in the world. In fiscal year 2023, it disbursed $72 billion in aid.
USAID and the White House National Security Council (NSC) did not immediately respond to a request for comment for this story.
Friday’s memo shocked humanitarian groups and communities conducting development aid around the world. Although the scope of the directive appears far-reaching, uncertainties remain about how it will be implemented.
Saturday’s memo provided only partial clarity.
He said that the temporary pause in foreign aid spending would mean a “complete halt.” The only exceptions are for emergency food assistance and for government officials returning to their duty stations. Exemptions allowing emergency food deliveries during the review period will require “detailed information and justification.”
Additional waivers would require two layers of approval — one from USAID leadership and the other by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the memo said.
“Any waiver must be fully justified to demonstrate that the specific assistance being requested is necessary for life-saving purposes, cannot be performed by existing U.S. direct hire personnel, or poses significant risks to national security,” the memo said.
The memo says all foreign aid programs will undergo a “comprehensive review” during the spending pause. “It is important to stress that it is no longer business as usual. Every program will be thoroughly vetted.”
Saturday’s directive prohibited any communications outside the agency, including USAID and the State Department, unless approved by the former front office.
“Failure to adhere to this guidance, or any of the guidance sent earlier this week and in the coming weeks, will result in disciplinary action,” he said.
Separately, USAID sent contractors a notice requesting that they “immediately issue work orders” and “modify or suspend existing awards.”
Humanitarian organizations and other donors are scrambling to understand how the directive will impact life-saving operations in countries around the world. They said it was too early to know whether or what specific services should be stopped.
In 2024, the United States provided 42% of all humanitarian aid tracked by the United Nations.
