Musk says US International Development Agency is a "criminal organization... Trump also agrees to shut it down"
"USAID is a Criminal Organization"
Musk Calls for Shutdown Amid Conflict with DOGE Investigation Team
Under the directive of U.S. President Donald Trump, the government efficiency department (DOGE), an advisory body led by Elon Musk, is pushing for a reduction in government organizations. Meanwhile, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), responsible for overseas aid, reportedly failed to block DOGE's activities, according to The Washington Post and others on the 2nd (local time).
According to reports, two top security officials at USAID were recently suspended after refusing to hand over classified documents located in restricted areas of the agency to the DOGE investigation team. The USAID security officials resisted by stating that the DOGE team did not have the necessary security clearance to access the information, thereby blocking their activities.
On the same day, Musk shared a post on X (formerly Twitter) stating that USAID officials were suspended for physically blocking DOGE's access to the system, adding, "USAID is a criminal organization, it's time for them to die."
Musk also said during a live discussion on X with Senator Jonny Ernst and others that he is working to shut down USAID. He described USAID as being in an "irreparable state" and added that President Trump agrees that it should be closed.
CNN reported that this is a recent conflict arising as DOGE, created by Trump, seeks to expand its influence over the federal government with the goal of cutting expenditures.
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The suspension of senior USAID officials also drew backlash from the U.S. Democratic Party. Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the Democratic ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said, "The possibility that individuals without proper clearance accessed USAID's classified spaces and the personal information of American citizens is extremely serious and unprecedented," adding, "A bipartisan group of senators will be convened as soon as the Senate opens on the 3rd to address this issue."
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