WASHINGTON, DC – Elon Musk attacked the US Agency for International Development, calling it a “criminal organization” on Sunday (Monday in Manila), as Donald Trump said the agency was “run by radical lunatics” and said he was considering its future.
The assault on the agency tasked with humanitarian relief overseas marks a significant new front in Trump’s move to give unprecedented power to Musk to upend government departments and counter what the pair consider wasteful official spending and overreach.
“USAID is a criminal organization,” Musk, the billionaire owner of Tesla and SpaceX who has become the president’s most powerful backer, wrote on his X platform, replying to a video alleging USAID involvement in “rogue CIA work” and “internet censorship.”
In a subsequent post, Musk doubled down and, without giving evidence, asked his 215 million X followers, “Did you know that USAID, using YOUR tax dollars, funded bioweapon research, including Covid-19, that killed millions of people?”
He did not elaborate on the allegations, which officials in the previous administration linked to a Russian disinformation campaign.
The United States Agency for International Development has “been run by a bunch of radical lunatics, and we’re getting them out… and then we’ll make a decision (on its future),” Trump said on Sunday without elaborating.
He underscored his support for Musk, telling reporters Sunday night he felt the billionaire was “doing a good job” even if they did not agree on every point.
“He’s a big cost-cutter. Sometimes we won’t agree with it or we’ll not go where he wants to go…he’s a smart guy. Very smart. And he’s very much into cutting the budget of our federal government,” Trump said.
