In a shocking move, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, a billionaire adviser to the Trump administration, stated that the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is on the verge of being shut down. Musk, who has been vying for control of the agency, made the announcement during a live session on X Spaces (formerly Twitter Spaces) early Monday. He claimed that after discussing the agency’s issues in detail with President Trump, both agreed that USAID should be shut down due to irreparable problems within the agency.
Musk characterized the situation at USAID as being far worse than initially perceived, likening it to a “ball of worms” that needed to be eliminated. This statement followed an unsettling development in which two top security officials at USAID, Director for Security John Vorhees and Deputy Director for Security Brian McGill, were placed on leave after resisting efforts by Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to access classified materials. DOGE personnel, lacking the necessary security clearance, were initially denied access to sensitive USAID information, but they were granted entry after the officials were removed.
Musk’s DOGE team has been working in cooperation with the Trump administration, aiming to reduce government inefficiency, cut programs, and overhaul federal regulations. The team’s actions at USAID followed a similar operation at the Treasury Department, where they accessed sensitive information, triggering the resignation of a senior Treasury official.
USAID, known as the U.S.’s primary agency for administering foreign humanitarian and development assistance, has been a key target for the Trump administration’s ongoing push to curb government spending and influence. The Trump administration and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have frozen foreign aid and imposed drastic cuts to USAID’s programs, resulting in layoffs and furloughs among its staff. The agency’s website also mysteriously vanished on Saturday, raising further concerns.
In response to Musk’s remarks, Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren expressed alarm, accusing the Trump administration of allowing Musk to access personal information and dismantle government operations. The controversy surrounding the future of USAID has raised concerns about the impact on international humanitarian and development efforts, as the U.S. is the world’s largest donor of aid.
