.png "Elon Musk said that President Donald Trump agreed USAID needs to be ‘shut down’")
Elon Musk stated that President Donald Trump concurred the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) should be “closed down,” amid ongoing debates about the agency’s fate after funding freezes and staff suspensions.
“Regarding USAID, I discussed it thoroughly with the president, and he agreed it needs to be shut down,” Musk remarked during an X Spaces discussion early Monday.
He added that he had verified Trump’s stance “multiple times,” confirming the president’s intent to dismantle the agency, which oversees billions in global humanitarian and development aid annually. CNN has contacted the White House and USAID for responses.
Prior to the X Spaces event, Trump criticized USAID to reporters on Sunday evening, calling it “run by radical lunatics” and stating a decision on its future would follow their removal.
Musk’s remarks followed reports that two senior USAID security officials were placed on administrative leave Saturday for denying access to Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) personnel, even after threats to involve law enforcement.
Approximately 60 staff members were suspended last week for allegedly bypassing Trump’s 90-day foreign aid freeze, while another official was suspended for attempting to reverse the freeze without evidence of misconduct.
During the X Spaces talk, hosted with Republican Sen. Joni Ernst and former DOGE co-chair Vivek Ramaswamy, Musk labeled USAID “deeply politically biased,” accusing it of funding “radically left-wing, anti-American causes globally.” He claimed the agency is “irredeemable,” likening it to a “ball of worms” rather than merely compromised.
Established in 1961 under President Kennedy, USAID serves as the U.S. government’s primary humanitarian arm, distributing billions annually for poverty relief, disease response, disaster aid, and democracy initiatives.
Officials emphasize its role as a soft power tool, integral to national security alongside defense and diplomacy.
Tensions escalated as DOGE personnel reportedly sought access to USAID’s security systems, classified data, and personnel files in Washington, D.C., initially being blocked before eventually entering the headquarters.
Democratic senators later demanded clarity from Secretary of State Marco Rubio on whether the access was authorized, citing national security concerns.
Katie Miller, a Trump-appointed DOGE official, asserted no classified material was accessed improperly. Musk, however, escalated his criticism on X, calling USAID “a criminal organization” that “needs to end.”
Meanwhile, USAID’s website and social media accounts were redirected to the State Department’s site, and its public affairs team was locked out of systems.
Trump’s recent executive order pausing foreign aid has sparked confusion and program halts, with critics warning that merging USAID into the State Department would cripple U.S. development expertise and global influence.
Former USAID officials argue the agency’s grassroots engagement and specialized focus cannot be replicated by the State Department, warning that dismantling it would weaken U.S. foreign policy capabilities.
“We’d be operating with one arm tied behind our back,” one anonymous official cautioned, reflecting widespread concerns about political targeting under the current administration.
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