Washington, 3 February 2025 (dpa/MIA) - US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday said he has placed USAID, the US development aid agency, under his supervision but has given authority of the agency's management to another person he did not name.

Rubio made his comments to US reporters during a visit to El Salvador. There had been reports earlier that the agency could be incorporated into the State Department.

US President Donald Trump had announced that he would largely freeze development aid and review every single item of expenditure to see if it served US interests.

His adviser Elon Musk, who owns X, said on the platform that the agency is "evil" and a "viper's nest of radical-left marxists who hate America." Musk wants to shut it down.

Current and former officials said the Trump government removed two top USAID security officials on Saturday after they refused to allow representatives from billionaire Musk's new office, charged with finding savings in the US government, access to restricted spaces at the agency, the US press reported. Several lawmakers called the move alarming.

Just before the work week was to start, an email was sent to employees in Washington from Musk's entourage telling them not to return to their desks after the weekend, but to work from home instead.

Musk, on X, said he consulted with Trump about closing the agency and said Trump agreed.

The US Democrats do not consider the approach to be lawful. They point out that by stopping US development aid, thousands of children around the world will suffer from hunger.

About a dozen Democratic lawmakers, employees and USAID supporters gathered around the agency's headquarters on Monday, where the Democrats gave a press conference.

The called Musk "an unelected billionaire" who does not have the authority to shut down the agency, The Washington Post reported. They said Trump's actions were "illegal" and "unconstitutional."