By Emmanuel Kwada
US President Donald Trump has fired the independent inspector general for the US Agency for International Development (USAID), Paul Martin, in a move that has sparked widespread outrage and concerns over government accountability.
The dismissal came a day after Martin’s office issued a report critical of the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle the agency, which has been a vital source of soft power for the United States in its struggle for influence with rivals including China.
The report had warned that more than $489 million in food assistance was at risk of spoilage or potential diversion after the Trump administration implemented an aid freeze and stop-work order.
This move has been seen as part of a broader crusade led by Trump’s top donor, Elon Musk, to downsize or dismantle swaths of the US government. USAID, which manages a budget of $42.8 billion, has been a primary target of this effort, with the administration freezing foreign aid, ordering thousands of internationally based staff to return to the United States, and slashing the agency’s headcount from 10,000 employees to just 300.
Labor unions are also challenging the legality of the onslaught, and a federal judge has ordered a pause on the administration’s plan to put 2,200 USAID workers on paid leave
The firing of Martin, who was appointed by Trump’s predecessor Joe Biden, has been met with criticism from Democrats, who argue that it would be unconstitutional for Trump to shut down government agencies without the legislature’s approval. Labor unions are also challenging the legality of the onslaught, and a federal judge has ordered a pause on the administration’s plan to put 2,200 USAID workers on paid leave.
This move is just the latest in a series of dismissals of inspectors general by the Trump administration, which has already fired 18 of these independent watchdogs.
