Washington, DC, February 3:
American tech billionaire Elon Musk has called United States Agency for International Development (USAID) a "criminal organization" and said that it is "time for it to die." In a post on X, Musk wrote, "USAID is a criminal organization. Time for it to die." He made the statement in response to a post which mentioned that USAID senior officials were put on leave after they physically tried to stop Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) officials from accessing agency systems.

Musk's statement comes amid mounting reports that US President Donald Trump wants to abolish USAID, an independent federal agency, and fold it into the US State Department, CNN reported. Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy at the White House, Stephen Miller, has accused USAID's workforce of being overwhelmingly Democrats.

Two top senior officials at the USAID were put on administrative leave on Saturday night after trying to refuse officials from DOGA to access systems at the agency, even after DOGE officials threatened to call law enforcement, CNN reported, citing multiple sources familiar with the matter.

Sources said personnel from DOGA tried to physically access the USAID headquarters in Washington, DC. However, they were stopped from accessing the system. Two of the sources said that the DOGE officials demanded to be allowed in and threatened to call US Marshals to be allowed access, CNN reported.

Three sources said the DOGE personnel wanted to gain access to security systems and personal files of USAID. Two of those sources also said the DOGE officials wanted to access classified information, which can be accessed by only those having security clearances and have a specific need to know, CNN reported. Three sources said that the DOGE officials were eventually allowed to access the headquarters.
The incident is the latest showdown as the DOGE wants to have increasing authority over the federal government with an aim to reduce spending. On Sunday, US Senator Jeanne Shaheen, who is also a ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said, "Reports that individuals without appropriate clearance may have accessed classified USAID spaces as well as American citizens' personal information are incredibly serious and unprecedented."

She added, "We are seeking immediate answers about any implications for our national security and are bringing a group of bipartisan Senators together on this as soon as the Senate comes back tomorrow."

Katie Miller, who was appointed by Trump in DOGE, on Sunday seemed to confirm that DOGE personnel had accessed classified information. In a post on X, Miller wrote, "No classified material was accessed without proper security clearances." On Saturday, USAID's website went dark and a new page for the agency appeared on the website of the US State Department. In addition, USAID's X account also went offline on Saturday.

Shortly being sworn in as US President on January 20, Trump issued an executive order pausing all foreign aid for 90 days, resulting in widespread confusion, layoffs and program shutdowns. USAID Director of Security John Voorhees and his deputy are among dozens of USAID officials who have been put on leave amid fears that the agency is being intentionally dismantled.

Democratic lawmakers have said it would be illegal for Trump to unilaterally eliminate a federal agency without holding consultations with the Congress. Established in 1961 under then-US President John F Kennedy's administration, the USAID is the US government's humanitarian arm which dispenses billions of dollars annually across the world in an effort to alleviate poverty, treat diseases, and respond to famines and natural disasters.

Last week, around 60 senior USAID staff were put on leave after accusations of trying to circumvent the executive order on foreign aid, CNN reported. Another senior official was put on leave for attempting to reverse that move after finding no evidence of wrongdoing.

Source: ANI

Elon Musk dubs USAID 'criminal organization,' says "time for it to die"