The developments come after thousands of USAID employees already have been laid off and programs shut down in the two weeks since Trump became president.

The rapid decimation of the U.S. Agency for International Development’s workforce in recent days led congressional Democrats to vent their fury Monday over billionaire Elon Musk’s attacks on the agency while Republicans said USAID was wasting taxpayers’ money and they would be content to see it absorbed into the State Department.

NBC News has learned that Elon Musk has officially joined the Trump administration as a “special government employee.” Musk said he and President Trump are shutting down USAID. Former Assistant Administrator for Global Health at USAID Dr.