Tech billionaire and unelected official Elon Musk said he believes the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is a “criminal organization” that should die.
Musk, who President Donald Trump appointed to lead the newly-formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), posted his sentiments about the organization and how it’s “time for it to die” on his social platform X.
He added, “With regards to the USAID stuff, I went over it with (the president) in detail, and he agreed that we should shut it down,” said Musk.
His comments come as USAID employees were told not to report to work on Monday,
My Journal Courier reports. USAID’s website has also been taken down.With a budget of over $40 billion approved by Congress, USAID is an independent federal agency focusing on long-term socioeconomic development. It is guided by the U.S. State Department and administers civilian foreign aid and development assistance.
USAID Employees Told Not To Return To Work
President Trump reportedly told reporters Sunday that the organization has “been run by a bunch of radical lunatics, and we’re getting them out, and then we’ll make a decision.”
Trump’s latest comments come following days of speculation and growing concerns about the agency’s future after its funding was frozen and employees were put on leave.
According to CNN, two top USAID security officials were put on administrative leave Saturday night after refusing to give DOGE members access to the agency’s systems.
So far, at least 60 senior USAID staff members have been placed on leave after being accused of attempting to circumvent Trump’s executive order to freeze foreign aid for 90 days despite no evidence of wrongdoing.
President John F. Kennedy’s administration established USAID in 1961 to alleviate poverty, treat diseases, and respond to natural disasters and famines. The organization also promotes democracy building and development by supporting non-government organizations.
The organization’s fate remains unclear, but the Trump administration’s decision to delete its website and social media accounts signals that its end could be near.
“They have announced no plan and given no rationale — they’re just taking everything down,” Jeremy Konyndyk, who led disaster relief under President Obama, told NPR. He also led disaster
relief for COVID and Monkey Pox under Biden with USAID. “They’re trying to do it behind the scenes rather than openly,” adding, so they don’t have to “defend what they’re doing” in public.RELATED CONTENT: Elon Musk Performs Alleged Hitler Salute At Trump Rally, Neo-Nazis Are Thrilled