THE GOLD STATUETTE. >>> SOON PRESIDENT TRUMP WILL SPEAK WITH PRIME MINISTER JUSTIN TRUDEAU FOR THE SECOND TIME TODAY. THE CONVERSATION COMES JUST A DAY BEFORE 25% TARIFFS ARE SET TO TAKE EFFECT ON OUR NORTHERN BORDER AND HOURS AFTER PRESIDENT TRUMP PAUSED HIS TARIFFS ON MEXICO FOLLOWING A CONVERSATION WITH THEIR PRESIDENT.
CBS NEWS HAS LEARNED THAT USAID, THE UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT WHICH OVERSEES HUMANITARIAN DEVELOPMENT AND SECURITY PROGRAMS IN ABOUT 120 COUNTRIES WILL BE MERGED INTO THE STATE DEPARTMENT WITH SIGNIFICANT CUTS IN THE WORKFORCE. ALL EMPLOYEES WERE ORDERED TO WORK REMOTELY TODAY AND NOT COME INTO THE OFFICE. THE ESCALATION COMES ON THE HEELS OF A TUMULTUOUS WEEKEND WHEN TWO SECURITY OFFICIALS ATTEMPTED TO BLOCK PERSONNEL FROM THE ELON MUSK DEPARTMENT OF GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY OR DOGE.
THEY WERE PLACED ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE. WE ALSO LEARNED THE AGENCY'S CHIEF OF STAFF HAS RESIGNED AS A RESULT. >>> SECRETARY OF STATE MARCO RUBIO HAS BEEN NAMED THE ACTING ADMINISTRATOR OF USAID.
HE'S IN EL SALVADOR AS HE CALLS TO REDUCE CHINA'S INFLUENCE OVER THE PANAMA CANAL. >> WE RECOGNIZE MANY OF THE PEOPLE WHO SEEK MASS MIGRATION ARE VICTIMS AND VICTIMIZED ALONG THE WAY. IT'S NOT GOOD FOR ANYONE.
THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT BENEFIT FROM MASS MIGRATION ARE ÷÷TRAFFICKERS. THIS IS A PROGRAM THAT SHOWS HOW COOPERATING WITH OUR STRONG ALLIES IN PANAMA CAN HELP STEM THE FLOW BY CREATING A DISINCENTIVE BY SENDING A MESSAGE IF YOU COME, AND YOU COME HERE REGULARLY, YOU MAY BE STOPPED AND RETURN TO YOUR COUNTRY OF ORIGIN. >> I WANT TO BRING IN CBS PRODUCER OLIVIA RINALDI.
WHAT'S THE SITUATION THERE NOW? >> Reporter: JUST TO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF WHAT HAPPENED, WE HEARD FROM DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKERS OUTSIDE THE USAID BUILDING IN DOWNTOWN WASHINGTON. AFTER THE PRESS CONFERENCE THEY WENT INSIDE TO TRY TO GAIN ACCESS INTO THE BUILDING BEHIND ME.
THAT IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW. DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKERS INSIDE TRYING TO GAIN ACCESS. ALL THIS COMES AFTER WE LEARNED OVER THE WEEKEND THAT A LOT OF USAID STAFFERS NO LONGER HAVE ACCESS TO THEIR EMAIL AND WE LEARNED ABOUT A SECURITY INCIDENT WHERE ELON MUSK AND MEMBERS OF DOGE TRIED TO ENTER THE BUILDING AND GET INTO SECURE AREAS.
THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH SECURITY OFFICIALS ON SITE. THOSE TWO SECURITY OFFICIALS ARE NOW PLACED ON LEAVE. AS A RESULT OF ALL THIS, THE CHIEF OF STAFF WHO TRUMP PLACED IN CHARGE OF USAID RESIGNED SUNDAY.
OF COURSE, WE HAVE HEARD FROM DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKERS PUSHING BACK ON THE EFFORTS TO DISMANTLE USAID, AND, TWO, NOT ALLOWING STAFFERS, ONE, TO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO EMAIL, AND, TWO, NOT ALLOWING ACCESS TO THE BUILDING. THEY WERE GIVEN THE EMAIL LAST NIGHT THE BUILDING WAS SHUT DOWN AND WAIT FOR FURTHER NOTICE. ALL THIS DEVELOPING RIGHT NOW VERY QUICKLY THE SITUATION EVOLVING.
>> IF USAID IS MERGED WITH THE STATE DEPARTMENT, WHAT WILL IT LOOK LIKE? IS THIS IN LIEU OF SHUTTING IT DONE COMPLETELY WHICH IS WHAT ELON MUSK SAID THEY WANTED TO DO? >> Reporter: IT WOULD APPEAR THAT IT WOULD BE IN LIEU OF SHUTTING DOWN COMPLETELY IF THEY MERGE WITH THE STATE DEPARTMENT.
WE WOULD EXPECT MASSIVE CUTS. THEY WILL REMAIN A HUMANITARIAN AGENCY, BUT WILL NOT BE THE SIZE THEY ARE NOW. JUST TO GIVE YOU A SCOPE OF WHAT THEY ARE, THERE ARE ABOUT 10,000 EMPLOYEES WITH USAID ACROSS THE WORLD, ABOUT TWO THIRDS OF THEM ARE IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES.
÷÷IT WOULD BE A MASSIVE SCALE DOWN OF THAT WORKFORCE. THEY CONTROL ABOUT $40 BILLION IN CONGRESSIONALLY APPROVED GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE TO A LOT OF THESE COUNTRIES WHICH THEY HAND OUT TO NGOs, HUMANITARIAN GROUPS. BECAUSE OF THAT, THE U.
S. IS ABOUT TO EXPAND ITS SOFT POWER AROUND THE WORLD. WE HEARD FROM ILMAR OMAR THE REPRESENTATIVE FROM MINNESOTA AND SHE SAID SHE WAS A REFUGEE IN A CAMP AND IT WAS BECAUSE OF USAID SHE WAS ABLE TO REALLY HAVE FOOD, HAVE A ROOF OVER HER HEAD, HAVE ASSISTANCE.
BECAUSE OF THAT, SHE HAD A BETTER FEELING ABOUT THE U. S. AND SHE'S NOW A CONGRESSWOMAN.
A LOT DEVELOPING IN THIS SITUATION WE HAVE TO WATCH VERY CLOSELY, ESPECIALLY IN THE NEXT COUPLE HOURS ON WHAT THIS MEANS FOR THIS AGENCY SO FOCUSSED ON HAUMT HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE WORLDWIDE. >> IT'S ALL HAPPENING AS THESE TARIFFS ARE POTENTIALLY BEING LEVIED. WHAT ARE WE HEARING ABOUT TRUMP'S CALLS TODAY WITH OUR NEIGHBORING NATIONS?
>> Reporter: WE KNOW WE'RE SCALING BACK SOME OF THOSE TARIFFS AGAINST MEXICO. TRUMP SPOKE WITH PRESIDENT SHEINBAUM OF MEXICO TODAY. SHE ANNOUNCED THEY CAME TO AN AGREEMENT.
THERE WILL BE MORE TROOPS ON THE U. S. /MEXICO BORDER, ABOUT 10,000 ADDITIONAL TROOPS.
BECAUSE OF THAT, TRUMP WOULD NOT PUT ON THE 25% TARIFFS UNTIL NEXT MONTH. HE SAID THERE WOULD BE A ROLLING BASIS OF DECIDING WHETHER OR NOT TO PLACE THESE TARIFFS BACK ON MEXICO. WE KNOW MOMENTARILY IN THE NEXT HOURS HE'S EXPECTED TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER JUSTIN TRUDEAU.
HE SPOKE WITH HIM EARLIER TODAY AS WELL. WE'LL WATCH CLOSELY TO SEE WHAT GOES ON WITH CANADA, IF THEY CAN POTENTIALLY STAVE AWAY FROM THESE TARIFFS AS MEXICO DID.
