The Department of Government Efficiency, which is led by Elon Musk, arrived Friday at U.S. Peace Corps headquarters in Washington, D.C., suggesting it could be the latest target of the Trump administration’s efforts to downsize the federal workforce.
“Staff from the Department of Government Efficiency are currently working at Peace Corps headquarters and the agency is supporting their requests,” the agency said in a statement to Reuters.
The Peace Corps, established in 1961 by then-President John F. Kennedy, sends volunteers around the world to help countries with projects focused on education, health and economics. Since then, more than 240,000 Americans have served as Peace Corps volunteers. The agency is widely viewed as one of the most visible tools used by the U.S. government to promote global influence.
DOGE CUTS DRIVE LAYOFFS IN MARCH TO HIGHEST LEVEL SINCE PANDEMIC
The purpose of DOGE’s visit was not immediately clear, but the arrival of DOGE staff at a federal agency is often followed by layoffs.
The Peace Corps, which has an annual budget of more than $400 million, has long been popular with both Democrats and Republicans. There is a bipartisan Peace Corps caucus in Congress.
In 1983, then-President Ronald Reagan said: “By the example of these Peace Corps volunteers, people throughout the world can understand that America’s heart is strong, and her heart is good.”
Peace Corps staff had been told by the agency’s leadership to expect members of DOGE to arrive on Friday afternoon and work through the weekend, according to Reuters.
President Donald Trump has already taken several steps since returning to the White House in January to eliminate key pillars of America’s soft power, including efforts to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.S. Institute of Peace and government-funded broadcasters such as Voice of America.
JOBS APPLICATIONS BY FEDERAL WORKERS SURGE AT AGENCIES TARGETED BY DOGE
Roughly 130 employees at the Wilson Center, a non-partisan foreign policy think tank in Washington, D.C., were placed on leave after DOGE began targeting the organization this week, according to The New York Times.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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