Elon Musk has announced that US President Donald Trump has agreed to close the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
USAID, widely regarded as the leading international development agency globally, manages billions of dollars in U.S. aid projects. The agency’s primary focus is on disaster relief, promoting development, and advancing global health initiatives.
Despite its significant impact, the foreign assistance provided by USAID accounts for less than one percent of the U.S. federal budget.
The Tesla and X CEO said he checked in with Trump a few times who said: “Yes we are shutting it down”.
Elon Musk, who heads the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), made remarks during an X Spaces stream late Sunday night, referring to USAID as “a criminal organization” and declaring, “Time for it to die.”
On Saturday, USAID’s website went offline as the Trump administration followed through on its campaign promise to halt foreign assistance programs.
Reports suggest that President Trump is preparing to issue an executive order to dismantle USAID and transfer its functions to the State Department.
USAID employs over 10,000 staff members across more than 100 countries. Following Trump’s “stop work” order, several senior officials were removed, and approximately 400 contract employees were laid off.
Three USAID staff members told the New York Times they were alarmed by the installation of an AI program called Gemini in their email accounts.
Meanwhile, lawmakers have contested Trump’s authority to shut down USAID, asserting that it is a creation of Congress and cannot be dissolved unilaterally.
“Trump isn’t satisfied just to close programs and fire staff. He is now planning to ELIMINATE THE ENTIRE AGENCY. Maybe this weekend. That would be illegal. He cannot unilaterally close a federal agency. Another assault on the constitution,” Chris Murphy, a Democrat senator from Connecticut, posted on social media on Saturday.
“Eliminating USAID, which prevents famines, counters terrorism and creates more markets for US exports — would make the world a more dangerous place for Americans and be a gift to China and Russia,” said Amy Klobuchar, Democrat senator from Minnesota.
On the first day of his second term, Trump pulled the US out of the Paris climate agreement and the World Health Organization (WHO), while signing multiple executive orders to strengthen his “America First” agenda.
The US president has also initiated a trade conflict with Canada, Mexico, and China.