Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has claimed that President Trump has agreed to shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), citing its inefficiency and calling it 'a ball of worms'. Musk made the statement during a live session on X Spaces, following the Trump administration's controversial move to place top USAID security officials on leave for refusing to hand over classified information to Musk's government-inspection teams.
The U.S. Agency for International Development ( USAID ) faces imminent closure according to billionaire advisor to the Trump administration and Tesla CEO Elon Musk , who stated that President Donald Trump has agreed to shut down the agency. USAID provides assistance to countries recovering from disasters, combating poverty, and pursuing democratic reforms, including war-torn Gaza and West Africa struggling with years of brutal conflicts. The U.S.
is the world's largest donor of humanitarian aid, with USAID managing billions of dollars in humanitarian, development, and security assistance across over 100 countries. President John F. Kennedy established the organization during the Cold War's peak to counter Soviet influence. Congress passed the Foreign Assistance Act in 1961, and Kennedy signed both the act and an executive order establishing USAID as an independent agency.The U.S. allocates less than 1% of its budget to foreign assistance, a smaller proportion than some other nations. Musk participated in a live session on X Spaces early Monday and claimed to have discussed USAID extensively with the president. 'He agreed we should shut it down,' Musk asserted. 'It became apparent that it's not an apple with a worm in it,' Musk continued. 'What we have is just a ball of worms. You've got to basically get rid of the whole thing. It’s beyond repair.' 'We're shutting it down.' His comments followed the administration placing two top security officials at USAID on leave after they refused to provide classified materials in restricted areas to Musk's government-inspection teams, as revealed by a current and former U.S. official to The Associated Press on Sunday. Members of Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE, eventually gained access on Saturday to the aid agency's classified information, which includes intelligence reports, according to the former official.Musk established DOGE in collaboration with the Trump administration with the stated objective of identifying ways to dismiss federal employees, reduce programs, and drastically cut federal regulations. USAID, whose website disappeared on Saturday without explanation, has been one of the federal agencies most targeted by the Trump administration in an escalating crackdown on the federal government and numerous programs. 'It’s been run by a bunch of radical lunatics. And we’re getting them out,' Trump stated to reporters about USAID on Sunday evening. The Trump administration and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have implemented an unprecedented freeze on foreign assistance, effectively shutting down much of USAID’s humanitarian, development, and security programs globally—forcing thousands of layoffs by aid organizations—and ordering furloughs and leaves that have decimated the agency's leadership and staff in Washington. Republicans and Democrats have long debated the agency, arguing over whether humanitarian and development aid safeguards the U.S. by stabilizing partner countries and economies or represents a waste of resources. Republicans typically advocate for greater control over USAID's policies and funds, while Democrats generally support USAID’s autonomy and authority. Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren stated in a post on Sunday that Trump was allowing Musk to access individuals' personal information and shut down government funding. 'We must do everything in our power to push back and protect people from harm,' the Massachusetts senator said, without providing specific details
USAID Elon Musk Donald Trump Department Of Government Efficiency DOGE Foreign Assistance Humanitarian Aid Development Aid Security Assistance Cold War
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