The Trump administration’s crackdown on the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) continues after the initial orders of a 3-month funding freeze for international organisations. CNN reported that staffers of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), working under Elon Musk tried to access the systems at the USAID office.
The USAID security staffers who tried to deny access to DOGE officials were put on administrative leave, CNN reported. The DOGE officials warned the staffers that they would have to bring law enforcement if the staffers won’t allow them access. Eventually DOGE staff were let in.
Some Democrats have claimed that the DOGE officials did not have the authority of necessary security clearance to access USAID systems. However, DOGE member senator Katie Miller has posted on X that the DOGE officials did have required security clearances and no undue access was taken.
Elon Musk, on the other hand, has been fierce on USAID, posting constantly that the organisation was deep in corruption and money laundering and has funded dubious operations, including bioweapons research “leading to COVID”.
USAID is a criminal organization.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 2, 2025
Time for it to die. https://t.co/sWYy6fyt1k
He also posted that it is time for USAID to die.
