US President Donald Trump has dismissed the independent inspector general of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), Paul Martin, US media reported on Wednesday.
Martin’s termination came just a day after his office released a report that criticized the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle the agency. According to outlets like the Washington Post and CNN, the White House sent a brief two-sentence email to Martin on Tuesday, informing him that his position was “terminated, effective immediately,” without offering any explanation for the decision.
The report from Martin’s office had raised concerns over the risk of more than $489 million in food assistance spoiling or being diverted after the Trump administration imposed a freeze on aid and a stop-work order. It highlighted long-standing challenges at USAID, with recommendations to combat fraud, waste, and abuse. The report noted that recent widespread staffing cuts and uncertainty regarding foreign aid waivers had impaired the agency’s ability to distribute and protect taxpayer-funded humanitarian aid.
While Trump had already dismissed 18 inspectors general — independent watchdogs overseeing the federal government — Martin, who was appointed by former President Joe Biden, had remained in his role.
Trump, now in his second term, has launched a concerted effort, backed by his top donor Elon Musk, to downsize or dismantle large portions of the US government, with USAID facing the brunt of the cuts. The agency, responsible for distributing US humanitarian aid globally, operates health and emergency programs in about 120 countries and manages a $42.8 billion budget, which accounts for 42% of the world’s humanitarian aid.
The Trump administration has frozen foreign aid, ordered the return of thousands of internationally-based staff to the US, and drastically reduced USAID’s workforce from 10,000 to just 300 employees. Labor unions have challenged the legality of these measures, with a federal judge recently pausing plans to put 2,200 USAID workers on paid leave.
Democrats argue that such drastic measures, including the potential shutdown of government agencies, would be unconstitutional without approval from Congress.
AFP
