Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has sparked controversy by calling for the dissolution of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), intensifying a political storm over the agency’s future under the Trump administration.
Musk, who leads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a cost-cutting task force established by former President Donald Trump, branded USAID a “criminal organization” after reports emerged that two of the agency’s top security officials were suspended for blocking his representatives from accessing classified areas.
The incident has fueled speculation that Trump intends to dismantle USAID, an agency responsible for overseeing billions of dollars in foreign aid annually.
Musk’s Clash with USAID
The controversy erupted after USAID’s Director of Security, John Voorhees, and his deputy, Brian McGill, were placed on leave for refusing DOGE officials entry into restricted sections of the agency’s Washington, D.C., headquarters.
According to multiple reports, the DOGE personnel lacked proper security clearances but were eventually granted access.
Musk responded to the reports with a blunt post on his social media platform, X: “Time for it to die.”
Steven Cheung, the White House Director of Communications, denied that DOGE personnel sought access to classified materials, dismissing media reports as “fake news.”
However, Katie Miller, a DOGE official, appeared to confirm the attempt, stating that “no classified material was accessed without proper security clearances.”
Political Fallout and USAID’s Uncertain Future
The dispute over access to classified materials is part of a broader conflict over the future of USAID, which has already seen drastic funding cuts under Trump’s administration.
Over the weekend, the USAID website went offline, and a stripped-down version of its page briefly appeared on the State Department’s website, sparking speculation that the agency might be absorbed into the foreign policy body.
Senator Chris Coons (D-Delaware) accused Trump of waging a “systematic attack” on USAID and its employees.
“President Trump spent two weeks harassing and laying off USAID employees, and now his team is trying to gut the agency altogether,” Coons posted on X.
Jeremy Konyndyk, a former USAID official, warned that eliminating the agency without congressional approval would be unlawful and a serious violation of the separation of powers.
“If Trump (or Elon) can just override Congressional statutes and funding mandates, and Congress acquiesces, it’s a very dark sign … and it won’t stop at USAID,” Konyndyk cautioned.
Concerns Over Musk’s Influence in Government
Democratic lawmakers have raised alarms about Musk’s growing influence within the Trump administration, despite his unelected status.
Over the weekend, The New York Times and The Associated Press reported that DOGE had gained access to the federal payment system, which holds sensitive financial information about millions of Americans.
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Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) condemned Musk’s involvement in government operations, calling it a “five-alarm fire” for national security.
“The people elected Donald Trump to be President – not Elon Musk,” she wrote on X. “Having an unelected billionaire, with his own foreign debts and motives, raiding US classified information is a grave threat to national security.”
Trump Signals Further Cuts to Foreign Aid
Trump, who has already frozen nearly all foreign aid spending, has signaled his administration’s intent to reduce or eliminate USAID funding altogether.
On Sunday, he told reporters that his team would remove “radical lunatics” from the agency before deciding its fate.
In a separate announcement, Trump pledged to cut all future U.S. aid to South Africa, citing concerns over land confiscation policies under President Cyril Ramaphosa’s administration.
“The United States won’t stand for it, we will act,” Trump declared on his Truth Social platform.
The U.S. allocated nearly $440 million in aid to South Africa in 2023, part of the $72 billion distributed globally—with over half of that amount managed by USAID.
As the debate intensifies, the future of U.S. foreign aid remains uncertain, with the Trump administration and Musk’s DOGE task force pushing for dramatic changes.
SOURCE:BBCNEWS
