From CBS News Headquarters in New York, this is the CBS Evening News.

Good evening. I'm John Dickerson.

I'm Maurice Dubois. This image came to mind today. The White House undergoing a massive renovation in 1948.

Now, with a former real estate developer in the executive mansion, another teardown is underway

in Washington and beyond, shaking the government, as we've known it, to its foundations.

Since the inauguration, President Trump has offered buyouts to two million federal workers,

fired 16 inspectors

general, and got rid of Justice Department officials who investigated him.

And he gave billionaire businessman Elon Musk free reign to weed out what they see as waste

and fraud.

That included shutting down USAID, the agency that provides humanitarian aid overseas.

Critics say what's being lost in this government makeover is oversight and expertise.

Margaret Brennan in Washington now, so Margaret, where does it seem they're going with all of this?

Well, overnight nearly all of the 10,000 USAID employees who work to feed the world, combat

disease and respond to disasters, they learn they'll be put on leave as of midnight on Friday.

And while the first target is foreign aid, it makes up a very small fraction of the federal

budget, less than 1%, but it may be a test case for what is coming to other parts of the federal government.

Let us work, they shouted.

USAID personnel have been locked out of their offices in email since Monday, leaving many confused as

to whether they'll even have health care or paychecks coming.

We spoke with one of those individuals who has spent the past decade at USAID.

Why in our conversation do you think you need to remain anonymous?

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