NEW DELHI: U.S. President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk launched a scathing attack on the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on Sunday, calling its leadership “radical lunatics” and accusing the agency of corruption. The criticism marks a significant shift in Trump’s efforts to reshape U.S. foreign aid policy, with reports suggesting he is considering rolling USAID into the State Department.
Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, accused USAID of being a “criminal organization” in a post on his social media platform, X. Replying to a video that linked the agency to alleged rogue CIA operations, Musk doubled down on claims that USAID had funded bioweapon research, including COVID-19, that “killed millions.”
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Musk, however, provided no evidence for his allegations. Officials from the previous administration have dismissed similar claims as Russian disinformation. During a late-night discussion on X, Musk suggested Trump supported shutting down USAID altogether.
“Tremendous progress” had been made, Musk claimed, in reducing government waste through his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a White House-backed initiative. Trump has already frozen aid spending for three months, granting only selective waivers for humanitarian relief.
USAID, an independent agency managing a $42.8 billion budget, remains in limbo, with aid workers fearing the government will cut non-emergency assistance entirely. The Trump administration has not responded to requests for comment, but sources indicate USAID may soon be integrated into the State Department.
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Meanwhile, security concerns have arisen over DOGE’s access to classified government documents. Reports suggest USAID officials were placed on forced leave after barring DOGE staff from entering secure spaces.
Democratic lawmakers have strongly condemned Musk’s growing influence over government policy. “The people elected Donald Trump, not Elon Musk,” said Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, calling the billionaire’s involvement a “grave threat to national security.”
With USAID’s X account disabled and its website offline, concerns over the agency’s future continue to mount.
