USAID 突然とつぜんの本部ほんぶ閉鎖へいさと解雇かいこ通告つうこく アメリカでの受け止うけとめは？

Under the Trump administration, Elon Musk, who leads the DOGE or Department of Government Efficiency in efforts to reduce federal spending, first targeted USAID, the United States Agency for International Development, citing lack of transparency in its operations.

Just over a month since the sudden headquarters closure and employee layoff notice, how is it being perceived in America? An employee who received the layoff notice said, America will lose its leadership position. At the end of February this year, the closure of USAIDs headquarters was suddenly announced to the employees.

It is said that the time given to take belongings out of the building was only 15 minutes.

The female staff member, with tears in her eyes, said, Its as if were being treated like trash.

Things are moving too fast.

The Trump administration did not give us time to react, he complained.

It is believed that a dismissal notice, which unilaterally stated the abolition of the department, has reached the majority of the more than 10,000 employees.

Secretary of State Rubio indicated on the 10th of last month that, following a review by DOGE led by Mr. Musk, 83% of USAID projects would be terminated, while the remaining nearly 20% would be operated under the State Department.

One of the people who received a dismissal notice is Mr. Dan McDonald.

I was in charge of aid to areas such as the Gaza Strip in Palestine, where fighting continues, at USAID.

In an interview with NHK, Mr. McDonald said, I cannot accept being suddenly treated as if we have radical ideas and are not taking our duties seriously.

They say they have worked for ten years with the belief that foreign aid not only saves many people around the world but also enhances Americas status and influence.

Mr. McDonald said, We were certainly leaders in planning and coordinating support, reaching out to other supporting countries, and cooperating with the Gulf countries with abundant funds.

In the fields of such adjustments and negotiations, America will lose its position as a leader.

If America abandons diplomatic means, it creates a space for rival countries to step in, it points out.

Mr. McDonald is currently visiting the federal parliament every week with his colleagues who have received dismissal notices, calling for opposition to the dismantling of USAID.

However, it is said that the reaction of the ruling Republican Party members is slow in the face of Mr. Musks strong influence.

Mr. McDonald, who visited the parliament, said, Many Republican politicians probably think that voters do not yet feel it is a problem.

We emphasized that we want to make the American people aware of what is happening now and change the politicians minds.

Within the ruling Republican Party, while many politicians refrain from criticizing the Trump administration, there are also those who take an opposing stance.

One of those individuals is Mr. John Gardner, who served as a special assistant to the president during the Bush administration and later as the general counsel for USAID.

Gardner, who responded to an NHK interview, said, According to the constitution, if the parliament passes and the budget is established, government agencies are obligated to execute that budget.

The Trump administration simply abolished subsidies and contracts.

What was shocking was that there were no personnel to deliver aid to those in need, and the food was left to rot at the pier, he said, harshly criticizing the Trump administrations move to eliminate foreign aid, stating that it is legally problematic.

On top of that, Mr. Gardner said, Republican lawmakers are being very quiet now, as the current administration has just begun.

Nobody wants to oppose the president of their own party.

I think that by the summer or fall, when Republican lawmakers begin to hear from constituents and the business community about the negative impact of project cancellations, some of the moves to cancel may be reversed, he said, pointing out that even Republican lawmakers who are not openly opposing now will eventually be forced to take some action.

American Public Opinion Polls Show Divided Views In American public opinion polls, it was found that while two-thirds of people predicted that dismantling USAID United States Agency for International Development by the Trump administration would increase the number of people getting sick in developing countries, nearly half of the people perceived that it would significantly reduce the U.S. budget deficit.

According to a public opinion poll released by the Kaiser Family Foundation in early last month, 67% of respondents, equivalent to two out of three people, said that the dismantling of USAID would lead to an increase in diseases and deaths in developing countries.

Additionally, 62% of respondents said that humanitarian crises are expanding globally.

On the other hand, nearly half of the respondents, 47%, answered that the U.S. fiscal deficit can be significantly reduced and that it will be possible to allocate funds to domestic projects.

Additionally, the poll revealed that opinions on the dismantling of USAID are sharply divided along party lines.

Among those who answered that diseases and deaths due to them are increasing in developing countries, 91% were Democratic supporters, while 42% were Republican supporters.

Additionally, 67% of Republican supporters responded that the fiscal deficit could be significantly reduced, compared to 28% of Democratic supporters.