Elon Musk has stated that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) should “die” after reports emerged that two top security officials at the aid agency were placed on leave for denying access to classified materials by his representatives.
Musk, appointed by President Trump to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), called USAID a “criminal organization” following the incident where security officials refused access to restricted areas in their headquarters in Washington, DC.
“Time for it to die,” Musk wrote on his social media platform X.
USAID’s security director, John Voorhees, and his deputy, Brian McGill, were put on leave for denying DOGE personnel entry to secure areas due to their lack of security clearances, as reported by several US media outlets.
DOGE representatives, initially denied access to secure areas, eventually gained entry to classified information following a confrontation, first reported by CNN.
White House communications director Steven Cheung refuted reports of DOGE personnel attempting to access secure areas, dismissing them as “fake news” and “not even remotely true at all.”
However, Katie Miller from DOGE seemed to acknowledge the taskforce’s attempt at entry, stating on X that “no classified material was accessed without proper security clearances.”
The incident has raised concerns that Trump may drastically scale back or dismantle USAID, especially after its website went offline and appeared as a basic page on the Department of State’s website.
Democratic lawmakers and others expressed worry over Musk’s influence in government decisions despite not holding elected office.
Trump vowed to remove the “radical lunatics” from USAID before determining its fate and announced a funding freeze for South Africa in response to recent events in the country.
The US is a major source of foreign aid globally, distributing billions across various countries each year, with a significant portion going through USAID.
