As many as 60 senior bureaucrats at the US Agency for International Development have been placed on leave indefinitely by President Trump for evading his executive orders. A memo by acting USAID administrator Jason Gray stated, “We have identified several USAID actions that appear to be intended to circumvent the President’s executive order and the mandate of the American people.”

This action effectively closes most of USAID’s $22.6 billion program support.

Current and former officials claim that the decision affects nearly all career staffers who hold a leadership position at the agency.

The cuts have resulted in many offices of the agency being completely devoid of non-political senior leadership. Two officials claim that the entire leadership team of USAID’s global health bureau, for instance, has been placed on leave.

“This is an enormous morale hit,” remarked a former Trump administration senior official, who was also informed of the decision. “This is leadership for the agency. It’s like removing all the generals. I don’t understand what they are hoping to achieve by this.”

It would seem that the USAID hires a lot of dolts. If the “generals” are in rebellion and you can figure out what taking out those generals accomplishes, I’m not sure you should be allowed outside your home without wearing a football helmet.

The State Department and President Trump both issued orders last week requiring USAID not to accept funding requests or designate new funding for foreign aid. The State Department also instructed them to give “stop-work orders” to grantees. Some exceptions were made, but the majority of USAID activities were frozen until they were fully understood. I’d guess that those on leave were either not going to follow orders or didn’t believe what was being said.

The review may be painful at times, but it is worth it to stamp out the “I Know Better” attitude that has been so prevalent in senior management and the foreign service.