Elon Musk, now in control of the U.S. Treasury, has boldly threatened to shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), calling it a “criminal organization” and saying the agency is “beyond repair.” The billionaire tech mogul made these claims during a live discussion on X Spaces earlier this week, where he discussed his plans with former President Donald Trump about dismantling the agency entirely.
“You’ve got to basically get rid of the whole thing. It’s beyond repair. We’re shutting it down,” Musk said, echoing sentiments shared with Trump, who agreed that the agency needed to be eliminated.
Musk did not offer evidence to support his accusations, but on X, he doubled down, labeling USAID a “criminal organization” and declaring, “Time for it to die.”
The comments came on the heels of Musk’s increasingly influential role in U.S. government operations. As the richest man in the world, Musk now has unprecedented control over the Treasury and the ability to decide how, when, and where federal funds are allocated. This power gives him the authority to reshape government priorities, including foreign aid, which USAID oversees. The agency has long been the U.S.’s largest provider of international humanitarian assistance.
While USAID has been under scrutiny in the past for its funding allocations, Musk’s recent claims have sparked new questions about the future of the agency. Established in 1961, USAID has provided billions in foreign aid to countries battling poverty, disease, conflict, and natural disasters. It operates as the world’s largest donor of international food assistance and spends roughly $40 billion annually from a $50 billion budget, helping approximately 130 countries.
Among the nations receiving the most assistance from USAID in 2023 were Ukraine, Ethiopia, and Jordan. However, Musk’s focus has shifted to the agency’s alleged inefficiencies, which he believes can only be remedied by a full shutdown.
His comments also follow reports of resistance within USAID to Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an agency formed to audit and streamline U.S. government functions. Two top USAID security officials were reportedly placed on leave after refusing to share classified information with DOGE teams, who did not have the necessary security clearance. Despite this, DOGE teams eventually gained access to the information, which allegedly included sensitive intelligence reports.
Musk’s influence extends further, with reports claiming that his aides, tasked with running the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, locked out senior government workers from key computer systems containing the personal data of millions of federal employees.
Trump has expressed support for Musk’s efforts to “dismantle Government Bureaucracy” and overhaul federal agencies. “Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will pave the way for my administration to cut wasteful expenditures, restructure federal agencies, and eliminate unnecessary regulations,” Trump said. This vision is in line with Musk’s broader ambition to reshape government operations through a mix of efficiency and financial control.
Musk’s sweeping power over U.S. financial operations, now consolidated through control of the Treasury, could mark the beginning of a dramatic shift in U.S. foreign policy and international development efforts.
