WASHINGTON: US billionaire Elon Musk attacked the US Agency for International Development on Sunday, calling it a “criminal organization” after President Donald Trump moved to freeze the bulk of Washington’s foreign assistance for three months.
USAID, an independent agency established by an act of Congress, manages a budget of $42.8 billion meant for humanitarian relief and development assistance around the world.
But it is one of the targets of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) headed by Musk, whom Trump has tasked with cutting the government workforce and slashing what the Republican calls waste and unnecessary spending.
Trump ordered a freeze on almost all US foreign aid, saying his administration will review spending to ensure money is distributed in line with his “America First” foreign policy.
The Trump administration has since issued waivers for food and other humanitarian aid. But aid workers say uncertainty reigns — and that the impact is already being felt by some of the world’s most vulnerable.
USAID is a criminal organization,“ Musk wrote on his X platform, replying to a video alleging USAID involvement in ”rogue CIA work“ and ”internet censorship.“
In a subsequent post, Musk doubled down and, without giving evidence, asked his 215 million X followers, ”Did you know that USAID, using YOUR tax dollars, funded bioweapon research, including Covid-19, that killed millions of people?“
He did not elaborate on the allegations, which officials in the previous administration linked to a Russian disinformation campaign.
Mayhem
Two top USAID security officials were reportedly removed during the weekend after they tried to stop DOGE representatives from gaining access to restricted parts of the building, three sources said on Sunday.
The action added to the dozens of staff at USAID being removed from their positions, as Trump’s team moves to abolish the agency’s independence and possibly bring it under the control of the State Department.
USAID’s account on X had been disabled, and the agency’s website was still offline.
Nearly 30 career staff in the agency’s Legislative and Public Affairs bureau lost access overnight to their emails, at least five sources said, bringing the total number of senior USAID career staff who have been put on leave over the past week close to 100.
“DOGE did access the building yesterday,” a senior Senate Democratic aide said, requesting anonymity to discuss the incident. USAID security officers tried to turn away DOGE personnel without security clearances.
“They (security personnel) were threatened with action by the federal Marshals Service,” the aide said. Following the incident, the director of USAID security John Voorhees and his deputy were removed from their positions and put on leave, sources said.
Members of the group from DOGE were allowed to access several secure spaces, including the office of security and the agency’s executive secretariat.
There was no record of what information DOGE officials were able to obtain in those areas, but the offices they accessed included classified files and personal information about Americans who work at USAID, the sources said.
Katie Miller, a DOGE spokesperson, said on social media platform X that no classified material was accessed without proper security clearances.
Matt Hopson, who was appointed as chief of staff by the Trump administration, has resigned, five sources familiar with the matter said. A congressional source said his resignation followed the incident with DOGE officials. USAID did not respond to a request about Hopson.
Legal battle looms
Congressional Democrats said the changes appeared to violate US laws establishing USAID and funding it as a separate agency. Two senior Senate Democratic aides said lawmakers and staff had been meeting on Sunday and would meet again on Monday to consider further steps, including legal action.
Senior Democratic members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee including its chair Jeanne Shaheen on Sunday sent a letter to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio seeking an explanation over the incident. Shaheen said that she was working to gather Democrats and Republicans to ask for answers.
The global freeze on most of US foreign aid is already sending shockwaves around the world. Field hospitals in Thai refugee camps, land mine clearance in war zones, and drugs to treat millions suffering from diseases such as HIV are among the programs at risk of elimination.
US House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Brian Mast on Sunday said that he would support moving USAID under the State Department and that there needs to be “more command and control.’
Asked on CBS’ “Face the Nation” if congressional approval was needed or whether Trump could act unilaterally, Mast did not answer. The “purging of people throughout the State Department, other agencies” and freezing aid were “all very important and necessary steps to make sure that we secure America,” he said.
The State Department and USAID did not respond to requests for comment.
