Elon Musk calls for USAID to be shut down, labeling it a ‘Terrorist Organization’

In a shocking statement, Elon Musk has referred to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) as a “terrorist organization” and suggested that it should be completely shut down. 

This bold comment comes after a tense standoff where security officers at USAID’s headquarters blocked Musk’s representatives from accessing classified documents. 

The situation has escalated to the point where USAID has put two of its security officials on leave.

The timing of Musk’s remarks is significant, as it comes just after former President Donald Trump also made strong comments about the agency.

Trump said that USAID was being run by “closed-minded maniacs” and hinted that the agency’s future is under review.

USAID, which is responsible for providing humanitarian aid around the world, has found itself at the center of growing criticism from the Trump administration. 

Both Trump and Musk are concerned about what they see as the misuse of taxpayer money by the agency.

Trump didn’t go into specifics but stated, 

“USAID is being run by some ‘closed-minded maniacs.’ We are getting rid of them. After that, we will decide what to do with the agency.”

Musk, who owns the social media platform X and is also the CEO of Tesla, was appointed by Trump to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DGE). 

Tensions between DGE and USAID flared when security officers at USAID’s Washington, D.C., headquarters prevented DGE officials from entering restricted areas to review important documents. Following this incident, Musk called USAID a “terrorist organization.”

On his social media platform, X, Musk wrote, 

“It is time to shut this down.”

According to several U.S. news outlets, USAID’s security team denied DGE officials access to secure areas because they didn’t have the right security clearance. 

As a result, USAID’s Security Director, John Vurhis, and Executive, Brian McGill, were placed on leave.

The DGE, which was created by Trump through an executive order, is not an official government agency but was set up to reduce government waste and unnecessary bureaucracy. 

After the disagreement between USAID’s security team and DGE, DGE officials were eventually allowed to enter the restricted areas. 

CNN was the first news outlet to report the details of the incident.

White House Communications Director, Steven Chieng, denied the reports of DGE officials attempting to enter restricted areas. 

He dismissed a PBS report on the matter as “fake news” and “not true at all.” 

On X, he stated, 

“The media is neither sincere nor reliable.”

However, Katie Miller, a member of the DGE task force, confirmed the attempted entry. 

She clarified on X that, 

“No classified documents were accessed without proper security clearance.”

The situation has only fueled concerns that Trump may be planning to reduce the role of USAID or even dismantle the agency altogether. 

These worries grew when USAID’s website suddenly went offline on Saturday. In its place, the U.S. Department of State set up a new page for the agency, sparking speculation that it could soon be transferred to the State Department.

Democratic Senator Chris Coons from Delaware expressed his frustrations on X, saying, 

“For two weeks, President Trump has been harassing and firing USAID staff. Now, his team is trying to completely destroy the agency.”

Coons further defended the staff at USAID, calling them patriotic Americans who promote U.S. leadership around the world. 

“They keep us relatively safe. With Trump, we are less safe,” he added.

Despite not holding an elected position, some Democratic lawmakers have voiced concerns about Musk’s growing influence in the U.S. government.