Trump Fires USAID Inspector General Paul Martin Amid DOGE Probe: Report

President Donald Trump fired Paul Martin, the Inspector General of the United States Agency for International Development. According to a CNN report, the move came after his office published a report highlighting the agency's difficulties in oversight due to the crackdown by the Trump administration and the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency.

Martin was informed of his termination via an email from the deputy director of the Office of Presidential Personnel Tuesday evening. In his report, Martin pointed out that President Trump's firing of USAID personnel and freeze on foreign aid has made it difficult to keep track of potential misuse of US taxpayer dollars currently distributed in humanitarian assistance.

“Recent widespread staffing reductions across the Agency … coupled with uncertainty about the scope of foreign assistance waivers and permissible communications with implementers, has degraded USAID’s ability to distribute and safeguard taxpayer-funded humanitarian assistance,” the report said. He even warned that due to lack of proper oversight, the money could unintentionally land up in terrorist's coffers.

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The report also states that the vetting efforts, which are required for programs in Middle Eastern countries to ensure that funds do not end up supporting terrorist groups, have ground to a halt because of the reduction in staff at USAID.

Since taking office for the second time, President Trump has fired inspectors general from over a dozen federal agencies, but the USAID watchdog has remained in place until now. Musk and Trump have stated their intention to shut down USAID to combat alleged wasteful spending of American dollars on overseas projects.

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