Elon Musk said the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will be shut down.
The billionaire said during an X Spaces stream early on Monday discussing the work of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) that President Donald Trump “agreed” with him that the agency should be shut down.
“I actually checked with him a few times. Said ‘Are you sure?’ Yes, so we’re shutting it down,” Musk said.
Newsweek contacted the White House for comment via an email outside of regular business hours.
Elon Musk said the agency was being shut down hours after President Donald Trump said it was being run by “a bunch of radical lunatics.” CHIP SOMODEVILLA/GETTY IMAGES
Why It Matters
The U.S. is by far the world’s largest provider of humanitarian aid, with USAID administering billions of dollars in humanitarian, development and security assistance in more than 100 countries.
Foreign assistance accounts for about 1 percent of the federal budget, and USAID has been one of the agencies targeted by the Trump administration in a crackdown on the federal government and many of its programs.
Trump signed an executive order on his first day back in office imposing an unprecedented freeze on foreign assistance that shut down many of USAID’s programs, saying his administration will review spending to ensure money is distributed in line with his “America First” foreign policy.
What to Know
Musk, who formed DOGE with the Trump administration with the aim of finding ways to slash federal spending, claimed during the stream that USAID’s work was “incredibly politically partisan” without offering evidence.
“As we dug into USAID, it became apparent that what we have here is not an apple with a worm it in but hat we have actually just a ball of worms,” Musk said.
“USAID is a ball of worms, there is no apple. And when there is no apple… you’ve just got to basically get rid of the whole thing. That is why it’s got to go. It’s beyond repair.”
What People Are Saying
Trump told reporters on Sunday: “USAID has been run by a bunch of radical lunatics and we’re getting them out and then we’ll make a decision.”
Senator Joni Ernst, a Republican from Iowa, said on the stream: “There are probably some arguments to be made about what could be important work that falls under USAID but the fact of the matter is that it’s been, it has been overshadowed by these bad actors. So if there are truly good pro-American programs, then let’s move them to the State Department. Let’s make sure we have proper oversight.”
Democratic senators on the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations wrote in a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday that changes to USAID appeared to violate the law.
“Congress established the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) as an independent agency, separate from the Department of State, to ensure that we can deploy development expertise and U.S. foreign assistance quickly, particularly in times of crisis, to meet our national security goals,” they wrote. “For this reason, any effort to merge or fold USAID into the Department of State should be, and by law must be, previewed, discussed, and approved by Congress.
“Congress has also made clear that any attempt to reorganize or redesign USAID requires advance consultation with, and notification to, Congress.”
Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat, wrote on X on Saturday that Trump “cannot unilaterally close a federal agency.”
He also said that Trump and Musk were “doing the bidding of Beijing and Moscow” by destroying USAID. He wrote: “China – where Musk makes his money – wants USAID destroyed. So does Russia. Trump and Musk are doing the bidding of Beijing and Moscow. Why?”
He added in other posts: “The immediate consequences of this are cataclysmic. Malnourished babies who depend on U.S. aid will die. Anti-terrorism programs will shut down and our most deadly enemies will get stronger. Diseases that threaten the U.S. will go unabated and reach our shores faster. And China will fill the void. As developing countries will now ONLY be able to rely on China for help, they will cut more deals with Beijing to give them control of ports, critical mineral deposits, etc. U.S. power will shrink. U.S. jobs will be lost.”
Senator Cory Booker, a Democrat from New Jersey, wrote on X: “Trump and Musk are recklessly and illegally dismantling USAID, an essential national security agency that saves lives, advances U.S. interests, and promotes peace. Their malicious actions are putting the health of people, especially children, at grave risk, and will surely lead to future public health and migration crises in the U.S. – let alone suffering around the globe.”
What’s Next
Two senior aides to Senate Democrats said lawmakers and staff had been meeting on Sunday and would meet again on Monday to consider next steps, including legal action, Reuters reported.
USAID’s website went dark on Saturday as furloughs, layoffs and program shutdowns continue amid Trump’s freeze on foreign aid.