US President Donald Trump escalated his post-election power plays on Friday by revoking Joe Biden’s security clearance, freezing aid to South Africa, and intensifying efforts to dismantle the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
In a Truth Social post, Trump declared he was “immediately” stripping Biden of access to classified briefings, a privilege traditionally extended to former presidents. “JOE, YOU’RE FIRED,” he wrote in all caps.
Meanwhile, the administration is pushing ahead with plans to gut USAID, a key agency responsible for distributing US foreign aid.
Trump and his top donor, Elon Musk, have repeatedly accused USAID of corruption—without evidence—and are working to reduce its 10,000-strong workforce to just 300.
A federal judge temporarily halted efforts to put thousands of USAID employees on paid leave, pending legal challenges.
Trump also appointed himself chairman of the Kennedy Centre, vowing to halt programming he claims does not align with his values.
Additionally, he cut off US aid to South Africa, citing allegations of land seizures against white farmers—a claim Johannesburg has denied.
Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) continues to draw controversy, with reports emerging that his team gained unauthorized access to Treasury Department data.
The Treasury has labelled the DOGE team “the single biggest insider threat” it has faced. Adding to the turmoil, a DOGE staffer resigned after racist social media posts surfaced, but both Trump and Musk have defended him.
