Dramatic farewell, recently fired USAID employees carried more than just their belongings as they walked out of their Washington, D.C., offices for the last time—they carried a message for former President Donald Trump.
Scrawled across moving boxes were parting words from dismissed staffers, some taking a jab at Trump’s drastic workforce cuts. One box read, “We are abandoning the world,” while another had a hopeful twist: “You can take the humanitarians out of USAID, but you can’t take the humanity out of the humanitarians.”
The layoffs, which impact thousands, were greenlit on Friday after a federal judge declined to block Trump’s move to slash USAID’s workforce in a bid to eliminate what his administration deems “wasteful spending.” The ruling paves the way for one of the most significant overhauls in USAID’s history, leaving just a fraction of its current workforce to oversee remaining humanitarian programs.
A Bitter Goodbye for USAID Workers
As employees departed, a small crowd of former USAID staffers and supporters gathered outside, holding signs of gratitude. Some workers exited in tears, while others embraced former colleagues, marking the end of an era for the federal agency.
Trump’s decision to gut USAID follows a 90-day foreign aid freeze and criticism from the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The agency has come under scrutiny for what Musk and other administration officials call reckless expenditures—such as a $20 million initiative to create a “Sesame Street” adaptation in Iraq and a $1.5 million program designed to promote workplace diversity in Serbia.
Federal Judge Clears Path for Layoffs
Despite legal challenges from government employee unions, U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols lifted a temporary restraining order, arguing that the courts lacked jurisdiction at this stage. Nichols, a Trump appointee, ruled that the case should be handled through administrative dispute processes before any constitutional claims could be considered.
With Secretary of State Marco Rubio now doubling as USAID’s acting director, the agency’s future remains uncertain. However, one thing is clear—those who once led its humanitarian efforts are leaving with their heads held high and their final words making waves.
