In a dramatic turn of events, Elon Musk announced that former President Donald Trump has agreed to shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The statement, made during an X Spaces conversation early Monday, follows days of speculation over the agency’s future after its funding was frozen and dozens of employees were placed on administrative leave.
“With regards to the USAID stuff, I went over it with (the president) in detail, and he agreed that we should shut it down,” Musk stated, emphasizing that he had checked with Trump “a few times” to confirm the decision.
Trump himself commented on the matter Sunday evening, telling reporters, “It’s been run by a bunch of radical lunatics, and we’re getting them out, and then we’ll make a decision” on USAID’s fate.
The announcement comes after two top security officials at USAID were put on administrative leave over the weekend for allegedly refusing members of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) access to the agency’s systems. According to multiple sources, DOGE personnel even threatened to call law enforcement to gain entry.
Further upheaval ensued last week when approximately 60 senior USAID staff were placed on leave for allegedly attempting to circumvent Trump’s executive order freezing foreign aid for 90 days. Another high-ranking official was also suspended after attempting to reverse those actions.
During the X Spaces conversation, Musk—joined by Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy—labeled USAID as “incredibly politically partisan,” accusing it of supporting “radically left causes throughout the world, including things that are anti-American.”
“We don’t have an apple with a worm in it,” Musk asserted. “We have a ball of worms. USAID is a ball of worms.”
Founded in 1961 under President John F. Kennedy, USAID has long served as the U.S. government’s humanitarian arm, allocating billions annually to combat poverty, fight diseases, respond to natural disasters, and promote democracy abroad. The agency is widely considered a critical element of U.S. soft power, operating alongside the Defense and State Departments to maintain global influence.
However, the Trump administration appears determined to restructure, if not eliminate, the agency. DOGE personnel, reportedly handpicked by Musk, have taken an aggressive approach. Sources indicate that DOGE staff forcibly gained access to USAID headquarters after initially being denied entry. Concerns have been raised that classified materials and sensitive personnel files may have been accessed without proper clearance.
Democratic members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee have since demanded an investigation, writing to Secretary of State Marco Rubio to seek clarification on the situation. Their letter expressed concerns over potential national security risks and emphasized that any effort to dismantle USAID must be reviewed and approved by Congress.
Amid the turmoil, USAID’s public affairs office has been locked out of its systems, and the agency’s official website has gone offline, replaced by a new page on the State Department’s site.
Katie Miller, a top official in DOGE, appeared to confirm that classified materials were accessed but maintained that all procedures followed proper security protocols. Meanwhile, Musk further escalated tensions by branding USAID a “criminal organization” in an X post, declaring, “Time for it to die.”
The move to dismantle USAID has sparked concerns among aid officials and foreign policy experts, who warn that the State Department lacks the resources and expertise to absorb USAID’s operations. Critics argue that eliminating the agency would significantly weaken U.S. foreign policy, leaving the country with fewer diplomatic tools to engage with global partners.
A former senior USAID official, speaking anonymously, cautioned, “We’re basically going to be punching with one arm behind our back.”
With Trump’s executive order already freezing foreign aid, widespread uncertainty looms over U.S. development programs worldwide. As debates over USAID’s fate intensify, the agency’s supporters and critics brace for what could be one of the most significant restructurings of American foreign assistance in decades.
Credit: CNN/Yahoo News
