Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur and owner of X (formerly Twitter), revealed early Monday that former President Donald Trump agreed the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) should be “shut down.” Musk made the comments during an X Spaces conversation, following days of speculation about the agency’s future after its funding was frozen and dozens of employees were placed on administrative leave.
Musk stated that he discussed the matter with Trump “in detail” and that the former president confirmed his desire to dismantle the agency. “With regards to the USAID stuff, I went over it with [the president] in detail, and he agreed that we should shut it down,” Musk said during the live audio chat. He added that he had checked with Trump “a few times” and received consistent confirmation of the plan.
USAID, which distributes billions of dollars annually in humanitarian aid and development funding, has faced increasing scrutiny from Trump and his allies. On Sunday evening, before the X Spaces conversation, Trump told reporters that the agency had been “run by a bunch of radical lunatics,” adding, “We’re getting them out, and then we’ll make a decision” on its future.
The controversy surrounding USAID escalated over the weekend when two top security officials at the agency were placed on administrative leave. According to multiple sources familiar with the situation, the officials refused to grant access to systems for members of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), even after DOGE personnel threatened to involve law enforcement. This incident followed the placement of approximately 60 senior USAID staff on leave last week, accused of attempting to circumvent Trump’s executive order to freeze foreign aid for 90 days. Another senior official was reportedly placed on leave for trying to reverse the freeze after finding no evidence of wrongdoing.
During the X Spaces conversation, which Musk co-hosted with Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa and Vivek Ramaswamy—a former co-chair of DOGE with Musk who has since left the organization—Musk criticized USAID as “incredibly politically partisan.” He accused the agency of supporting “radically left causes throughout the world, including things that are anti-American.”
The White House and USAID have not yet responded to CNN’s requests for comment on Musk’s statements or the ongoing turmoil within the agency. However, the developments have sparked widespread debate about the future of USAID and its role in global humanitarian efforts under the current administration.
As the situation unfolds, the potential shutdown of USAID remains a contentious issue, with critics warning of the consequences for international aid and development programs, while supporters of the move argue for greater efficiency and alignment with U.S. interests.
