Elon Musk's crackdown on USAID splits with Project 2025 agenda
The conservative manifesto largely praises USAID's humanitarian work and does not call for it to be dismantled.
President Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk's crackdown on the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) contradicts how the conservative manifesto Project 2025 suggested the agency should operate.
Newsweek has reached out to The Heritage Foundation, the prominent conservative think tank that authored the 922-page document, for comment via email outside of regular working hours.
Why It MattersPresident Donald Trump has repeatedly denied any connection to Project 2025, which outlines how a potential Republican administration could overhaul the federal government, despite multiple members of his Cabinet being involved in drafting the manifesto.
The dismantling of USAID suggests Trump is not following all the recommendations in Project 2025 and that Musk is having an even-greater influence on the president.
Supporters of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) rally on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol on February 5, 2025 in Washington, D.C. Supporters of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) rally on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol on February 5, 2025 in Washington, D.C. Chip Somodevilla/Getty ImagesWhat To KnowUSAID is an independent agency that delivers billions of dollars in foreign humanitarian aid.
The Trump administration has announced plans to gut the agency and merge it with the State Department. Thousands of employees are set to lose their jobs by the end of Friday as part of the move.
The crackdown is overseen by Musk, who leads the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Trump announced the department on January 20 as part of his plan to "dismantle" government bureaucracy and reduce federal spending.
Project 2025 is a lengthy guideline outlining how a new administration could restructure the government to align with a hard-line conservative agenda.
The proposals include making it easier to fire federal workers, eliminating the Department of Education, and removing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. Several versions of these policies have already been implemented or proposed by Trump in his second term.
According to the Tracking Project 2025 blog, dismantling USAID runs counter to what is outlined in the manifesto.
A chapter in the manifesto by Max Primorac, a senior research fellow in the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom at The Heritage Foundation based in Washington, D.C., generally praises USAID's humanitarian work.
The chapter suggests a presidential administration could "resize and repurpose" USAID's humanitarian aid portfolio to restore its original purpose of "providing emergency short-term relief, preparing vulnerable communities for transition, and doing no harm" without completely dismantling it.
Primorac recommended that USAID should operate more like it did in Trump's first term, including pushing "pro-life and family-friendly policies"; promoting international religious freedom; and building an "unprecedented genocide-response infrastructure."
What People Are SayingThe author of the Tracking Project 2025 blog said in a Thursday post: "The Mandate does lament that USAID's spending and bureaucracy have grown too large, calling out the 'aid industrial complex' that they claim has developed in response to an agency that needs more oversight. But the Mandate does not suggest—or even hint at—doing away with the agency wholesale, as Musk has done."
Max Primorac wrote in Project 2025: "The next conservative administration should scale back USAID's global footprint by, at a minimum, returning to the agency's 2019 pre-COVID-19 pandemic budget level. It should deradicalize USAID's programs and structures and build on the conservative reforms instituted by the Trump administration. This will require working closely with the U.S. Congress to make deep cuts in the international affairs '150 Account' while granting USAID greater flexibility in spending its appropriated funds to achieve better developmental outcomes."
President Donald Trump told reporters on February 2: "USAID, run by radical lunatics, and we're getting them out, and then we'll make a decision."
Elon Musk posted on X, formerly Twitter, on February 2: "USAID is a criminal organization. Time for it to die."
What Happens NextUSAID said in a statement on its website that, by the end of Friday, all direct-hire personnel at the agency will be placed on administrative leave globally, except for those responsible for "mission-critical functions, core leadership, and specially designated programs."
Bea And Her Business has shared new single 'We're Not The Same'. The singer enters 2025 with alacrity, following a slew of accolades. Each song she
Read more >> : Cick here
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Jodie Turner-Smith slammed her ex, Joshua Jackson, as part of her plea for $37,000 a month in temporary support amid their divorce, In Touch can exclusively report.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
The Gone Girl actor shares three children with his ex-wife
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
In a new interview she also revealed how two well known restaurants were their 'worst investment' and in 'wrong location'
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(756x329:758x331)/kelsea-ballerini-020725-7ddfd9e990004e77b8e9b02841e2afd6.jpg)
Kelsea Ballerini was forced to end her Buffalo show early on Thursday, Feb. 6, due to an ongoing sickness. In a video shared on her Instagram Stories, the singer revealed her upcoming tour dates have been postponed to focus on recovery.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(756x329:758x331)/kelsea-ballerini-020725-7ddfd9e990004e77b8e9b02841e2afd6.jpg&description=Kelsea Ballerini Postpones Tour Dates to Rest and ‘Get Better’ After Ending Buffalo Concert Early Due to Sickness Kelsea Ballerini was forced to end her Buffalo show early on Thursday, Feb. 6, due to an ongoing sickness. In a video shared on her Instagram Stories, the singer revealed her upcoming tour dates have been postponed to focus on recovery. %23singer) |
|
|
One in five drivers donâ??t have breakdown cover leaving millions at risk of unexpected costs, new research from Go Compare has moved to reveal.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Meryl Streep’s daughter Mamie Gummer filed for divorce from husband Mehar Sethi after six years of marriage, reports TMZ
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Trust her, she’s the class protector.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
The Italian chef, 48, is facing â??dozensâ?? of allegations of misconduct, including using sexualised and aggressive language on TV sets
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
According to a new royal book which sheds light on Meghan Markle's time at the palace, the Duchess of Sussex was given an interesting nickname by members of staff, on account of her 'new agey' and 'woke' personality
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Twitter (X), Inc. was an American social media company based in San Francisco, California, which operated and was named for its flagship social media network prior to its rebrand as X. In addition to Twitter, the company previously operated the Vine short video app and Periscope livestreaming service
Twitter (X) is one of the most popular social media platforms, with over 619 million monthly active users worldwide. One of the most exciting features of Twitter (X) is the ability to see what topics are trending in real-time. Twitter trends are a fascinating way to stay up to date on what people are talking about on the platform, and they can also be a valuable tool for businesses and individuals to stay relevant and informed. In this article, we will discuss Twitter (X) trends, how they work, and how you can use them to your advantage.
What are Twitter (X) Worldwide Trends?
Twitter (X) Worldwide trends are a list of topics that are currently being talked about on the platform and also world. The topics on this list change in real-time and are based on the volume of tweets using a particular hashtag or keyword. Twitter (X) Worldwide trends can be localized to a Worldwide country or region or can be global, depending on the topic's popularity.
How Do Twitter (X) Worldwide Trends Work?
Twitter (X) Worldwide trends are generated by an algorithm that analyzes the volume of tweets using a particular hashtag or keyword. When the algorithm detects a sudden increase in tweets using a specific hashtag or keyword, it considers that topic to be trending.
Once a topic is identified as trending, it is added to the list of Twitter (X) Worldwide trends. The topics on this list are ranked based on their popularity, with the most popular topics appearing at the top of the list.
Twitter (X) Worldwide trends can be filtered by location or category, allowing users to see what topics are trending in their area or in a particular industry. Additionally, users can click on a trending topic to see all of the tweets using that hashtag or keyword.