USAID Officials Placed on Leave as Elon Musk Calls for Agency’s ‘End’
Trump Threatens to End All Funding to South Africa Over Land Confiscations
Elon Musk has sparked controversy by declaring that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) should “die,” following reports that two top security officials at the agency were placed on leave for denying his representatives access to classified materials.
Musk, who was appointed by President Donald Trump to lead the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), made the statement Monday after security officials at USAID reportedly refused to grant members of his task force access to restricted areas at the agency’s Washington, D.C. headquarters.
“Time for it to die,” Musk wrote on his social media platform X, referring to USAID.
The security officials, John Voorhees, USAID’s director of security, and his deputy, Brian McGill, were put on leave after refusing access to DOGE personnel, who lacked the necessary security clearances, according to multiple media outlets. The task force was eventually allowed access to areas with classified information after the confrontation, which was first reported by CNN.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung denied reports that DOGE personnel attempted to access secure areas, calling a PBS report on the incident "fake news." However, Katie Miller, a DOGE official, acknowledged the incident, stating on X that no classified materials were accessed without proper security clearances.
The clash between Musk and USAID has raised concerns about Trump’s plans to dismantle or drastically reduce the agency. Over the weekend, USAID’s website went offline, and a simplified page for the agency appeared on the State Department's site, leading to speculation that it may be absorbed into the department responsible for U.S. foreign policy.
Democratic lawmakers have strongly criticized the administration’s efforts to undermine USAID. Senator Chris Coons of Delaware wrote on X, “President Trump spent two weeks harassing and laying off USAID employees, and now his team is trying to gut the agency altogether. These are patriotic Americans who promote our leadership around the world. They make us safer. Trump makes us less safe.”
Jeremy Konyndyk, former director of USAID’s Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance, warned that eliminating the agency without Congressional approval would be unlawful and a dangerous overreach of executive power.
Musk’s growing influence has also raised alarms, with some lawmakers questioning the role of an unelected billionaire in shaping U.S. government policy. Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez expressed concern over Musk’s involvement, calling it a "grave threat to national security."
Meanwhile, Trump has continued to push for the end of USAID, calling it a home for “radical lunatics” and threatening to withdraw U.S. foreign aid, particularly to South Africa. Trump’s remarks follow a controversial new law in South Africa that allows for the confiscation of white farmers’ land without compensation. In response, Trump pledged to cut off all future U.S. funding to South Africa, citing concerns over the treatment of certain groups.
The U.S. allocated nearly $440 million in assistance to South Africa in 2023, with USAID overseeing much of the disbursement. Trump stated that the funding freeze would remain in place until a full investigation into the land issue is conducted.
USAID is a key part of the U.S. foreign aid program, which disbursed $72 billion across nearly 180 countries in 2023. Despite criticism of its funding allocation, the agency remains a major channel for foreign assistance, with more than half of it managed by USAID.