USAID Given Mere Minutes to Clear Out: Elon’s Cracking Down

It’s too bad President Donald Trump has already used the moniker “Operation: Warp Speed,” because it’s tough to think of a better descriptor for the pace at which Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency are moving to cut government bloat.

And now, Musk is expecting fired government employees to move at that same speed.

As posted directly to the site of the effectively-shuttered United States Agency for International Development, terminated employees (or those placed on “administrative leave”) are being given a 15-minute window to claim their belongings and clear out the Ronald Reagan Building.

“This Thursday and Friday ONLY — on February 27 and 28, 2025 — USAID staff will have the opportunity to retrieve their personal belongings from the RRB during a designated date and time as provided below,” the USAID missive began, before ominously adding: “Staff should read this message carefully before attempting to retrieve their items from the building this week.”

Effectively, the USAID has provided several frames of time for ex-employees to come procure their belongings. But it won’t be as simple as walking in and grabbing their stuff.

“Staff should arrive at the start of their time window, but no sooner as early entry will not be granted,” the USAID posted.

It continued: “All staff and their property will undergo magnetometer and x-ray machine screening upon entry. Staff will then be escorted to their workspace, where they will be permitted to collect their personal items.”

Notably, the update then added (emphasis theirs): “Staff will be given approximately 15 minutes to complete this retrieval and must be finished removing items within their time slot only.

“Staff with a significant amount of personal belongings to retrieve must be cognizant of time; however, flexibility may be granted in select circumstances with the approval of the Office of Security.”

Additionally, the USAID noted that it will not provide receptacles.

“Staff MUST bring their own boxes, bags, tape, and/or other containers to remove their personal items; these items will not be provided,” the statement read. “Staff will be permitted to remove personal items only, and may not retrieve or remove any U.S. government created documents, supplies, or other items that are property of the U.S. government.”

After collecting their belongings and returning any property of the government (“USAID-issued assets, classified tokens, PIV card, and diplomatic passport [if applicable]”), the outgoing employee “will be required to acknowledge receipt of their personal belongings, holding all agencies harmless for any personal items left behind.”

And to drive home the point that they’re serious, the USAID ended the update with a veiled threat, saying the agency couldn’t guarantee the safety of anything left behind.

The USAID stated that unclaimed “personal items will be packed by [the General Services Administration] and sent to a warehouse for collection at a later date and time. GSA cannot guarantee that personal items not claimed during this time will be free from damage or loss, but will take all precautionary measures to safeguard items.

“Staff WILL NOT be reimbursed for any transportation or parking costs associated with collecting their personal belongings.”

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