Billionaire Elon Musk, who’s heading U.S. President Donald Trump’s efforts to shrink the federal authorities, gave an replace on the hassle early Monday, saying they’re working to close down the US overseas assist company USAID.
Musk, who can be CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, mentioned the Division of Authorities Effectivity (DOGE) in a Monday social media speak on X, which he additionally owns. Trump has assigned Musk to guide a federal cost-cutting panel.
The dialog, which included former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and Republican Senator Joni Ernst and Mike Lee, started with Musk saying they have been working to close down america Company for Worldwide Improvement (USAID).
“It’s past restore,” Musk stated, including that President Trump agrees it ought to be shut down.
On Sunday Reuters reported the Trump administration eliminated two prime safety officers at USAID throughout the weekend after they tried to cease representatives from billionaire Musk’s Division of Authorities Effectivity (DOGE) from getting access to restricted components of the constructing, three sources stated.
USAID is the world’s largest single donor. In fiscal yr 2023, the US. disbursed $72 billion of help worldwide on all the pieces from girls’s well being in battle zones to entry to scrub water, HIV/AIDS therapies, vitality safety and anti-corruption work. It supplied 42% of all humanitarian assist tracked by the United Nations in 2024.
The web site of USAID appeared to nonetheless be offline on Saturday and a few customers couldn’t entry it on Sunday. USAID has a workers of greater than 10,000 folks. On Monday morning the location was again on-line.
Trump has ordered a world freeze on most US overseas assist as a part of his “America First” coverage which is already sending shockwaves world wide. Area hospitals in Thai refugee camps, landmine clearance in battle zones, and medicines to deal with tens of millions affected by ailments reminiscent of HIV are among the many applications vulnerable to elimination.
Talking extra broadly about slicing US bills and fraud, Musk estimated the Trump administration can minimize $1 trillion from the U.S. deficit subsequent yr.
He asserted, for instance, that “skilled overseas fraud rings” are stealing huge sums of cash by masquerading as or creating pretend digital U.S. residents.
Musk didn’t supply any proof to help his fraud declare or clarify how he reached the quantity of $1 trillion.
The web chat comes amid issues about Musk’s entry to the Treasury system, first reported by the New York Instances, that sends out greater than $6 trillion per yr in funds on behalf of federal companies and comprises the private data of tens of millions of People who obtain Social Safety funds, tax refunds and different monies from the federal government.
Democrat Peter Welch, a member of the Senate Finance Committee, known as for explanations as to why Musk had been handed entry to the fee system and what Welch stated included taxpayers’ delicate information.
“It’s a gross abuse of energy by an unelected bureaucrat and it reveals cash should buy energy within the Trump White Home,” Welch stated in an emailed assertion.
Musk has Trump’s help. Requested if Musk was doing a great job Sunday, Trump agreed. “He’s a giant cost-cutter. Generally we gained’t agree with it and we’ll not go the place he desires to go. However I believe he’s doing a fantastic job. He’s a sensible man. Very sensible. And he’s very a lot into slicing the finances of our federal finances.”
Musk’s workforce has been given entry to or taken management of quite a few authorities programs.
Reuters reported on Friday, that aides to Musk charged with operating the US authorities human sources company have locked profession civil servants out of laptop programs that include the private information of tens of millions of federal staff, in line with two company officers.
Musk has moved swiftly to put in allies on the company referred to as the Workplace of Personnel Administration. A workforce together with present and former staff of Musk assumed command of OPM on Jan. 20, the day Trump took workplace, the sources added.
Since taking workplace 11 days in the past, Trump has launched into an enormous authorities makeover, firing and sidelining tons of of civil servants in his first steps towards downsizing the paperwork and putting in extra loyalists.
