Musk brands USAID ‘criminal’ org
Agency :
Elon Musk has attacked the US Agency for International Development (USAID), calling it a “criminal organisation” on Sunday, as Donald Trump joined in, labelling the agency as “run by radical lunatics” and suggesting he was considering its future.
This latest assault on the agency, which handles humanitarian relief abroad, marks a new front in Trump’s efforts to grant Musk unprecedented influence in dismantling government departments and countering what the pair deem to be
wasteful spending and overreach.
Musk, the billionaire owner of Tesla and SpaceX and a staunch supporter of Trump, took to his X platform to claim: “USAID is a criminal organisation,” in response to a video alleging USAID’s involvement in “rogue CIA work” and “internet censorship.”
In a follow-up post, Musk further fuelled the controversy by claiming-without evidence-that “USAID, using YOUR tax dollars, funded bioweapon research, including Covid-19, that killed millions of people.”
The allegations, which officials from the previous administration linked to a Russian disinformation campaign, were not substantiated by Musk.
Trump, meanwhile, said of USAID: “It’s been run by a bunch of radical lunatics, and we’re getting them out… and then we’ll make a decision [on its future].”
He expressed his support for Musk, adding, “He’s a big cost-cutter… He’s very much into cutting the budget of our federal government.”
Trump had previously frozen all aid spending for three months, later issuing waivers for food and other humanitarian assistance.
However, aid workers continue to face uncertainty about the future of the agency, which remains an independent body with a budget of $42.8 billion allocated for global humanitarian relief and development assistance.
Reports suggest that Trump may be considering merging USAID with the State Department. His team has yet to respond to requests for comment.
Musk has indicated he will provide an update on his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) during a broadcast on his X platform at midnight Washington time, though the details remain unclear.
DOGE was created as part of the “executive office of the president” and is a temporary 18-month organisation under the repurposed United States Digital Service.
It does not have full government department status, nor is Musk a federal employee.
There have been reports that DOGE staff attempted to access classified documents and security systems at USAID’s headquarters, leading to the forced leave of two senior USAID security officials. However, Steven Cheung, a senior aide to Trump, dismissed these reports, labelling them as “legitimately FAKE NEWS.”
USAID’s X account has since been disabled, and the agency’s website remains offline.
Democratic Senator Chris Murphy criticised the “total destruction” of the agency, while Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez raised concerns about Musk’s involvement, calling it a “grave threat to national security.”