'Shut it down': President calls for the closure of USAID

President Donald Trump called Friday to shut down the foreign aid agency USAID. The president's message comes days after the agency, which reports to the State Department, came under the media spotlight.

Critics of USAID point to the agency as an avenue for wasting taxpayer money Other reports also suggest that the agency became during the Biden administration a tool to fund organizations with agendas akin to that of the previous Democratic administration.

"CLOSE IT DOWN!" the president wrote on social media, accusing the agency of corruption and fraud. He had previously claimed that the agency was run by "radical lunatics."

Significant reshuffles have been underway within the agency for several days now, involving the layoff of federal workers and a deep reorganization. In fact, a new director for the agency has not been named and, indefinitely, Secretary of State Rubio is serving in that capacity.

As part of these, the White House also ordered an audit of all NGOs that received funds from the federal government. The executive order mandates a review of all funding provided to NGOs to ensure that their future funding decisions are in line with U.S. interests and Republican administration priorities.

The move comes hours after the federal government announced it will keep only 294 workers out of more than 10,000 that the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has around the world.