President Trump on Sunday slammed the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), arguing it is poorly run after recent news reports that he is considering merging the agency with the State Department.
The president told reporters that his administration will get the “lunatics” out of the agency before a decision is made about its future.
“It’s been run by a bunch of radical lunatics, and we’re getting them out. USAID, run by radical lunatics, and we’re getting them out, and then we’ll make a decision,” Trump said.
USAID sends aid to communities impacted by conflicts and assists developing countries on many aspects. Democrats have slammed Trump over the reports about USAID joining the State Department, noting that the agency is “by statute, an independent establishment.”
Trump also praised billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk on Sunday night, after reports that two top USAID security officials were put on leave after trying to stop the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which Musk leads, from accessing its systems.