USAID is a criminal organization https://t.co/FY7P52XTYC
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 2, 2025
In another post, he asked, “Did you know that USAID, using YOUR tax dollars, funded bioweapon research, including COVID-19, that killed millions of people?”
Did you know that USAID, using YOUR tax dollars, funded bioweapon research, including COVID-19, that killed millions of people? https://t.co/YVwyKA7ifs
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 2, 2025
Earlier, on Sunday, Trump criticised USAID, saying, “It’s been run by a bunch of radical lunatics, and we’re getting them out. USAID, run by radical lunatics, and we’re getting them out, and then we’ll make a decision.”Speaking to reporters on Sunday night, he highlighted his support for tech entrepreneur Musk and said, “I think Elon is doing a good job. He’s a big cost-cutter.”
“Sometimes we won’t agree with it and we’ll not go where he wants to go. But I think he’s doing a great job. He’s a smart guy. Very smart. And he’s very much into cutting the budget of our federal budget,” he added.
This came after representatives from Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) requested to be let in at the USAID headquarters in Washington, DC and wanted access to security systems and personnel files. However, the USAID refused the inspection teams entry into the restricted areas.
Following this, the Trump administration placed two top security officials at the United States Agency for International Development on leave, The Associated Press reported.
The dismissals are a part of a larger shake-up at USAID, as President Donald Trump seeks to reduce the agency’s autonomy and potentially bring it under the control of the State Department. About 30 employees from the Legislative and Public Affairs office, who lost access to their emails overnight, are among the nearly 100 senior staff members who have already been placed on leave.
The entry of DOGE staff into USAID headquarters was confirmed by a top Senate Democratic aide. According to the aide, “DOGE did access the building yesterday.”
As per the reports in Reuters, the aide also stated that USAID security agents were “threatened with action by the federal Marshals Service” when they attempted to refuse access to individuals without security clearance.
After the incident, USAID’s security chief John Voorhees and his deputy were put on leave.
