February 13, 2025 (Washington, D.C.) – Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA) today responded to a declaration released by “Marcus Doe,” an unnamed USAID worker stationed until last month in Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The declaration was filed as part of a lawsuit brought by USAID workers against the Trump Administration.
Beyer said:
“This is an absolute scandal. Trump abandoned American workers and their families abroad as they tried to comply with his order to return to the United States.
“In an astounding display of incompetence and apathy, Trump and Secretary Rubio issued orders that left Americans in locations around the world locked out of communications and financial systems they needed to make a safe return. This story is not an isolated incident, I have been contacted by another constituent whose daughter, a USAID worker, was stranded overseas without access to internal communications or the reimbursement system USAID workers use to secure travel arrangements.
“Trump and Rubio were attacking these hardworking civil servants, and Elon Musk was slandering them with bogus accusations of ‘fraud’ that he made up, as they lost their possessions, housing, and money. All this for the ‘crime’ of devoting their careers to serving their country, at times under dangerous conditions. This is a disgraceful and embarrassing episode in American history, and it may take a long time to repair the damage Trump just did.”
Marcus Doe described a scene of chaos and panic resulting from sudden orders from the Trump Administration to leave the country. Doe and his colleagues deployed in Kinshasa received orders to evacuate immediately amid dangerous protests. The chaos of the orders was heightened by the removal of USAID’s previous leadership, disrupting clear communications and heightening confusion on the ground. This confusion was worsened by separate orders barring payments for travel expenses; requests for waivers to that policy were delayed for crucial hours and delays as USAID workers around the world attempted to comply with orders to evacuate and return to the United States.
The evacuation in Kinshasa caused what Marcus Doe described as “an intense sense of panic,” with “nearly all our belongings” left in Kinshasa, children terrified and pulled out of school, and families left without a place to live. They also have not received financial assistance from USAID to cover the sudden expenses required by the evacuation, according to Doe’s declaration.
