CNN: Judge Halts Trump’s Plan to Put USAID Workers on Leave

RUSH TRANSCRIPT WHITFIELD And ░░░░░░░░ begin this hour with ░░░░░░░░ major new court ruling ░░░░░░░░ the brakes on President ░░░░░░░░ s plans to nearly ░░░░░░░░ out all of the ░░░░░░░░ of a major U ░░░░░░░░ Humanitarian agency A federal ░░░░░░░░ has temporarily blocked a ░░░░░░░░ by the Trump Administration ░░░░░░░░ put thousands of workers ░░░░░░░░ usaid on indefinite leave ░░░░░░░░ firing them The president ░░░░░░░░ executive order would have ░░░░░░░░ the agency with fewer ░░░░░░░░ 300 employees Hours before ░░░░░░░░ ruling the court ruling ░░░░░░░░ were seen removing signage ░░░░░░░░ the agency s headquarters ░░░░░░░░ Washington D C The ░░░░░░░░ s ruling prevents more ░░░░░░░░ 2200 people from being ░░░░░░░░ on administrative leave He ░░░░░░░░ the judge rather ordered ░░░░░░░░ government to reinstate 500 ░░░░░░░░ who have already been ░░░░░░░░ on leave It s ░░░░░░░░ agency Trump s daughter ░░░░░░░░ once championed when she ░░░░░░░░ as a White House ░░░░░░░░ CNN s Betsy Klein ░░░░░░░░ joining us now What ░░░░░░░░ can you tell us ░░░░░░░░ the judge s order ░░░░░░░░ this agency that really ░░░░░░░░ been around for decades ░░░░░░░░ though Ivanka Trump had ░░░░░░░░ own connections to the ░░░░░░░░ during her father s ░░░░░░░░ administration KLEIN Past few ░░░░░░░░ feel a little bit ░░░░░░░░ that s because President ░░░░░░░░ himself was once a ░░░░░░░░ proponent of usaid and ░░░░░░░░ programs And I think ░░░░░░░░ one tells that story ░░░░░░░░ than Ivanka Trump his ░░░░░░░░ and former senior adviser ░░░░░░░░ back in 2019 just ░░░░░░░░ underscore how important this ░░░░░░░░ the president talked about ░░░░░░░░ as a key piece ░░░░░░░░ his State of the ░░░░░░░░ address He announced plans ░░░░░░░░ launch w GDP the ░░░░░░░░ s global development and ░░░░░░░░ initiative under the umbrella ░░░░░░░░ usaid spearheaded by his ░░░░░░░░ Ivanka Trump Now if ░░░░░░░░ was a priority for ░░░░░░░░ it was a priority ░░░░░░░░ the president And this ░░░░░░░░ w GDP it did ░░░░░░░░ aimed at boosting women ░░░░░░░░ economic empowerment abroad things ░░░░░░░░ closing the digital divide ░░░░░░░░ food insecurity and providing ░░░░░░░░ to women entrepreneurs looking ░░░░░░░░ start small businesses But ░░░░░░░░ talked to numerous people ░░░░░░░░ worked closely with Ivanka ░░░░░░░░ at usaid as well ░░░░░░░░ people who were direct ░░░░░░░░ of that program including ░░░░░░░░ farmer from the country ░░░░░░░░ Georgia She was at ░░░░░░░░ signing ceremony in the ░░░░░░░░ Office back in 2019 ░░░░░░░░ she told CNN just ░░░░░░░░ week when I saw ░░░░░░░░ Trump was elected again ░░░░░░░░ thought it was going ░░░░░░░░ bring more support for ░░░░░░░░ s economic empowerment because ░░░░░░░░ loved this program Now ░░░░░░░░ program was rebranded under ░░░░░░░░ Biden Administration and by ░░░░░░░░ accounts continued to thrive ░░░░░░░░ just last week when ░░░░░░░░ was subject to a ░░░░░░░░ order halting all of ░░░░░░░░ operations Now I think ░░░░░░░░ of this underscores a ░░░░░░░░ transformation for President Trump ░░░░░░░░ foreign aid He ran ░░░░░░░░ won back in November ░░░░░░░░ slashing federal spending He ░░░░░░░░ doing just that But ░░░░░░░░ that we spoke to ░░░░░░░░ raised dramatic concerns about ░░░░░░░░ status of—“