Bangladesh, Feb. 3 -- As foreshadowed in my earlier examination of the Trump administrations ambitions to consolidate control over U.S. foreign policy institutions, the past week has seen an unprecedented escalation in efforts to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The agency, a cornerstone of American global humanitarian engagement since 1961, now finds itself in the crosshairs of a coalition led by President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk. Their campaign has labeled USAID as ‘criminal and ‘Marxist, raising urgent concerns about the unchecked activities of USAID and similar NGOs.

Over the weekend, Trump-aligned operatives from the newly rebranded “Department of Government Efficiency...