Quick Summary:
• Elon Musk confirmed that Trump wants USAID shut down, stating, “I’ve checked with Trump a few times about whether he wants USAID shut down. He said ‘yes.’ So we’re shutting it down.”
• Two USAID security officials were placed on leave after refusing to give Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) access to classified materials, which DOGE operatives eventually accessed despite lacking proper security clearance.
• USAID’s website has gone dark, its signs have been removed, and reports indicate half its workforce has been eliminated in the past week, creating an atmosphere of “fear and chaos” among employees.
• The Trump administration has already frozen most foreign aid, causing food waste, shutting down health clinics, and forcing organizations to halt emergency relief programs.
• Sen. Chris Murphy warned that shutting down USAID will push foreign nations to seek aid from China, saying countries may “cut more deals with” Beijing, strengthening its global influence.
• Progressive strategist Waleed Shahid described Musk’s growing control over government functions as a “textbook coup,” stating, “Trump, a fading strongman, is the figurehead; Musk, the junta’s real leader.”
• Democrats argue that Trump “cannot unilaterally close a federal agency”, calling it “illegal and against our national interests,” while lawsuits and congressional action are being prepared to challenge the move.
The Trump administration, with the support of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), is moving to dismantle the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)—the federal agency responsible for distributing humanitarian assistance to more than 130 countries and providing over $43 billion in foreign aid in 2023 alone.
Musk, during a broadcast on his social media platform X, confirmed that he and Trump were aligned on closing the agency:
“I’ve checked with Trump a few times about whether he wants USAID shut down. He said ‘yes.’ So we’re shutting it down.”
The move has drawn widespread condemnation from lawmakers, humanitarian groups, and international relief organizations, who warn that millions of lives are now at risk as food aid, medical assistance, and disaster relief are abruptly halted.
Abby Maxman, president and CEO of Oxfam America, issued a stark warning:
“Dismantling USAID would be a callous, destructive political power play that would have deadly consequences for millions of people living in dire humanitarian emergencies and extreme poverty.”
Since its founding in 1961, USAID has provided emergency humanitarian relief, poverty reduction programs, public health initiatives, and foreign development aid worldwide.
Key programs include:
• Emergency food assistance for famine-stricken nations.
• Disaster response to hurricanes, earthquakes, and humanitarian crises.
• Global health funding for vaccines, maternal health, and infectious disease prevention.
• Strategic economic assistance to developing nations to promote stability and prevent crises.
Among its most significant recent efforts:
• Ukraine: Congress has approved over $46 billion in emergency funding to Ukraine since 2022, primarily through USAID.
• Haiti: USAID funds maternal healthcare clinics and disaster response efforts.
• Africa & Asia: The agency leads programs addressing malaria, HIV/AIDS, and food insecurity.
Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a non-governmental advisory group with no legal authority, has been aggressively seizing control of key federal functions.
Recent developments:
• Two USAID security officials were placed on leave after refusing to grant DOGE officials access to classified materials.
• DOGE agents eventually gained access to the classified materials despite lacking proper security clearance.
• USAID’s website has gone dark, further escalating concerns about transparency and accountability.
Musk has personally attacked USAID on his platform, falsely claiming:
“USAID is a criminal organization. Time for it to die.”
There is no evidence of criminal activity within USAID.
3. The Trump Administration’s Push to Strip USAID of Its Independence
• Reports indicate Trump plans to eliminate USAID as an independent entity and merge it into the State Department.
• By Saturday, lawmakers were informed that:
• USAID signs had been removed from its headquarters in Washington, D.C.
• Mission directors worldwide were being called back to the United States.
• Half of USAID’s workforce had been eliminated in the past week.
• USAID employees have been ordered not to discuss the changes.
“Two USAID employees, who work in the Washington headquarters and spoke on condition of anonymity because of an order barring employees from discussing any changes to the agency, said that they were working under an atmosphere of fear and chaos, and that half of the agency’s workforce had been eliminated in the last week,” reported The New York Times.
1. Life-Threatening Disruptions to Global Humanitarian Aid
The foreign aid freeze already implemented by the Trump administration has thrown global assistance programs into chaos.
As TIME reported:
• One organization was forced to waste hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of perishable food after stopping aid deliveries.
• Another group is scrambling to determine whether it must close maternal health clinics in Haiti.
While the State Department issued a waiver for some emergency aid, many programs have already shut down or been severely disrupted.
2. Global Security and the Rise of Foreign Influence
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) warned that shutting down USAID would weaken U.S. geopolitical influence while strengthening foreign adversaries:
“Foreign countries now stripped of U.S. aid may turn to China for assistance and ‘cut more deals with’ the country’s government, giving Beijing more power.”
3. A Billionaire Power Grab Masquerading as ‘Government Efficiency’
Musk’s deepening control over federal operations has led critics to call this a ‘textbook coup.’
Waleed Shahid, a progressive strategist, described the situation as follows:
“If this were Pakistan, Chad, or Venezuela, the headlines wouldn’t hedge: A billionaire oligarch seizes control, dismantling democracy in real time.”
“Musk’s loyalists, armed with executive orders instead of rifles, are gutting the civil service, locking officials out of government systems, and dictating policy from a boardroom-turned-war room,” Shahid wrote.
“Trump, a fading strongman, is the figurehead; Musk, the junta’s real leader. Treasury, national security, federal agencies—one by one, falling under private rule. In any other country, experts would call it state capture, a textbook coup.”
Is Trump’s Attempt to Shut Down USAID Legal?
• Legal experts argue Trump cannot unilaterally shut down a federal agency without congressional approval.
• Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) warned:
• “The move would be ‘illegal and against our national interests.’”
• Murphy echoed that sentiment, saying:
• “Trump cannot unilaterally close a federal agency. Another assault on the Constitution.”
• Congressional Democrats reaffirmed that USAID is “by statute, an independent establishment outside of the State Department.”
Potential Lawsuits and Congressional Oversight
• A coalition of lawmakers is preparing legal challenges to block USAID’s dissolution.
• It remains uncertain whether legal efforts will succeed, given the conservative-leaning Supreme Court.
Public Backlash and Electoral Implications
• Polls indicate broad bipartisan support for humanitarian aid.
• Musk’s deepening control over government operations is emerging as a key election issue.
VI. Call to Action: What You Can Do
Call your representatives and demand immediate congressional action to block the dismantling of USAID.
Support organizations like Oxfam and Amnesty International that are fighting to protect humanitarian aid.
Share this article and spread the word—public pressure is critical in stopping this takeover.
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