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By Favour Chinecherem Ibekwe
The Trump administration has taken steps to shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), with billionaire Elon Musk claiming the agency is “beyond repair.”
Musk, who heads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under President Donald Trump, announced the move during a live audio stream on X, Monday 3rd February, stating that Trump supports the decision.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelUSAID staff were instructed to stay out of the agency’s Washington headquarters on Monday and work remotely, according to an email obtained by ABC News. The email cited “direction from Agency leadership” and promised further guidance. This comes after Musk declared on X Spaces, a social media platform he owns, that USAID is “a ball of worms” and must be dismantled.
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“It became apparent that what we have here is not an apple with a worm in it, but we have actually just a ball of worms,” Musk said during the stream, which included former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and Senators Joni Ernst and Mike Lee. “You’ve got to basically get rid of the whole thing. It’s beyond repair.”
Musk, who also serves as CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, was appointed by Trump to lead a federal cost-cutting initiative.
He claimed that Trump fully supports shutting down USAID, stating, “I went over it with him in detail, and he agreed that we should shut it down.”
USAID disbursed $72 billion in fiscal year 2023 for programmes ranging from women’s health and clean water access to HIV/AIDS treatment and anti-corruption efforts. The agency employs over 10,000 people and operates in approximately 120 countries.
The move to close USAID follows a series of aggressive actions by the Trump administration to overhaul federal agencies. Over the weekend, two top security officials at USAID were placed on leave after refusing to hand over classified material to Musk’s DOGE team. Additionally, USAID’s website went offline on Saturday, and some employees reported being locked out of the agency’s computer systems.
Trump has long criticised USAID, calling it “run by a bunch of radical lunatics” during a press briefing on Sunday. He added, “We’re getting them out, and then we’ll make a decision.”
The decision has sparked backlash from Democratic lawmakers, who argue that Trump lacks the constitutional authority to shut down USAID without congressional approval. Senator Elizabeth Warren condemned the move, stating, “We must do everything in our power to push back and protect people from harm.”
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The freeze on USAID’s operations is part of a broader “America First” policy that has already disrupted global aid programmes. Field hospitals in refugee camps, landmine clearance initiatives, and disease treatment programmes are among the projects at risk.
Musk also claimed during the stream that the Trump administration could cut $1 trillion from the U.S. deficit next year, though he provided no evidence to support this figure. He alleged that “professional foreign fraud rings” are stealing vast sums by impersonating U.S. citizens, but did not elaborate on how this relates to USAID’s closure.
As the situation unfolds, USAID staff remain in limbo, awaiting further instructions. The agency’s future, along with its critical humanitarian programmes, hangs in the balance as the Trump administration continues its sweeping government overhaul.
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