I’m worried Trump’s admin is working to dismantle/dramatically shrink USAID

I’ve been reflecting on State’s recent memo regarding foreign assistance, which you can read here

They are going to review all active foreign assistance grants, contracts, and subcontracts to, “ensure that all foreign assistance is aligned with President Trump’s foreign policy agenda.” Every Bureau/office/entity providing foreign assistance has to provide a list and state how they think each one is advancing Trump’s agenda.

This feels ominous. It feels like the beginning of a massive restructuring. Does global health align with his agenda (especially for our colleagues in family planning, HIV/AIDS, and immunization)? Does gender equality? Does climate resilience? This feels like an excuse to cut entire offices.

Leaving out an exemption for institutional support contractors from the cable feels especially concerning. Maybe it was an oversight, but what if it was intentionally done to cripple USAID operations?

It feels like they came way more prepared this time with a clear understanding of how this system works. If this is indeed a major restructuring, this will decimate an entire industry. It’s not just USAID employees - it’s implementing partners around the world. We’re talking about hundreds of thousands of jobs.

Does anyone have reassurance or more insight into any checks and balances that exist to prevent this from happening?