Former State Department and USAID officials accused of using regime change tactics to undermine President Trump’s agenda.

Ousted Bureaucrats Turn Skills Inward

A growing network of current and former U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and State Department officials is reportedly employing the same regime change expertise once used abroad to undermine President Donald Trump’s policies at home. According to a NOTUS report, these individuals—many recently terminated or in the process of being let go as part of the administration’s restructuring—are adapting democracy-building tactics learned from years supporting dissident movements worldwide.

The Trump administration is actively working to downsize USAID, with thousands of positions slated for elimination by September as part of the “America First” policy overhaul. But, according to NOTUS, fired officials are leveraging their experience, holding invite-only workshops on noncooperation and covert organization, aiming to foster a culture of internal dissent. One current federal official warned, “Take it from those of us who worked in authoritarian countries: We’ve become one.”

Participants are said to be sharing covert manuals, such as an old CIA pamphlet titled “Simple Sabotage,” and teaching resistance strategies through case studies like the Danish underground’s resistance to Nazi occupation. The informal network, reportedly including diplomats and human rights activists with experience in global uprisings, is building what they hope could grow into a nationwide general strike.

White House Condemns ‘Undemocratic’ Tactics

The White House has strongly criticized these activities. Deputy press secretary Anna Kelly stated, “It is inherently undemocratic for unelected bureaucrats to undermine the duly elected President of the United States and the agenda he was given a mandate to implement.” Despite claims of mounting resistance, administration officials remain committed to achieving policy goals.

Organizations like “DemocracyAID,” which reportedly operates without a formal web presence or legal entity, are cited as hosting these workshops. Ro Tucci, former director of the USAID Center for Democracy, Human Rights and Governance, co-leads the effort and instructs participants on resisting authoritarianism, from grassroots organizing to potential mass strikes.

Some officials within the movement are said to reference popular culture, likening their efforts to fictional resistance against oppressive regimes. “There’s only so many ways to do it,” a former conflict expert commented, adding, “the tactics to counter them will still work, and there’s way more ways to be creative.”

A senior State Department official responded that while the department is unaware of such reports, it remains vigilant against any internal and external threats to national security. The department pledged to take all necessary precautions to safeguard its operations.

The revelations highlight growing tensions between career officials and the Trump administration, raising questions about the challenges of governance amid deep internal divisions within the federal government.