The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has come under fresh scrutiny after two top security officials were placed on leave following an alleged confrontation with a government task force led by billionaire Elon Musk.
The development comes as former President Donald Trump reiterated his intent to freeze funding to South Africa over its land confiscation policies, further fuelling concerns over the administration’s approach to foreign aid.
Musk, who was appointed by Trump to head the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), accused USAID of being a “criminal organisation” after agency officials reportedly denied members of his cost-cutting task force access to secure areas at its Washington headquarters.
“Time for it to die,” Musk wrote on his social media platform X, echoing Trump’s broader push to curtail foreign aid.
According to US media reports, USAID’s director of security, John Voorhees, and his deputy, Brian McGill, were suspended after blocking DOGE personnel from entering restricted areas due to their lack of security clearance. However, multiple reports, including one by CNN, suggested that the representatives were ultimately granted access to classified sections.
The White House, however, dismissed the reports. “This is how unserious and untrustworthy the media is,” White House communications director Steven Cheung said, calling the claims “fake news.”
Katie Miller, a DOGE official, later wrote on X that “no classified material was accessed without proper security clearances,” seemingly confirming that an attempt had been made.
The incident has intensified fears that Trump, who has already frozen nearly all foreign aid, is preparing to either drastically reduce or dissolve USAID entirely. Over the weekend, the agency’s official website went offline, with a skeletal page appearing under the State Department’s domain, prompting speculation that it may soon be merged into the latter.
Senator Chris Coons, a Democrat from Delaware, accused the Trump administration of dismantling the agency. “President Trump spent two weeks harassing and laying off USAID employees, and now his team is trying to gut the agency altogether,” he posted on X.
Other Democratic lawmakers also expressed alarm over Musk’s influence in the government despite his unelected status.
“This is a five-alarm fire. The people elected Donald Trump to be President – not Elon Musk,” said Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, adding that allowing a billionaire “with his own foreign debts and motives” access to classified US information posed a serious national security risk.
Senator Elizabeth Warren warned of far-reaching consequences. “As Donald Trump allows Musk to access people’s personal information and shut down government funding, Republicans in Washington will also own the consequences,” she said.
Trump, who has long been critical of foreign aid, particularly to African nations, also took aim at South Africa, announcing that he would cut off “all future funding” over the government’s decision to allow the expropriation of white-owned land without compensation.
“The United States won’t stand for it. We will act,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, adding that aid would be suspended pending a “full investigation.”
The US allocated nearly $440 million in assistance to South Africa in 2023, with USAID playing a major role in disbursing funds. In total, Washington provided $72 billion in foreign aid across 180 countries last year, with over half of the amount channelled through USAID.
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