Quotes
As we dug into USAID, it became apparent that what we have here is not an apple with a worm it in but that we have actually just a ball of worms. USAID is a ball of worms, there is no apple. And when there is no apple... you've just got to basically get rid of the whole thing. That is why it's got to go. It's beyond repair."
Musk said on a livestream on Monday
In addition to another ongoing audit on direct budget support, we are examining USAID's Energy Security Project, USAID's oversight of Starlink Satellite Terminals provided to the Ukrainian government, and USAID's efforts to protect against sexual exploitation and abuse in Ukraine,
Martin told Congress
USAID has been run by a bunch of radical lunatics and we're getting them out and then we'll make a decision."
President Trump told reporters on Sunday
The USAID are screaming like they're part of a prison riot because they don't want us reviewing the spending. But that's all Mr. Musk is doing. And he's finding some pretty interesting stuff."
Senator John Kennedy, a Louisiana Republican, said to Fox News' Sean Hannity on Tuesday in part
USAID saves lives, promotes stability, and supports people in crisis. I joined Minnesota Now on @MPRnews to talk about how people around the world will quite literally lose their lives and why Elon Musk and Trump don't have the authority to dismantle it."
Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar, of Minnesota, on X on Wednesday.jpg)
Liz Cheney, who led Trump's impeachment and the mass imprisonment campaign against thousands of Trump supporters, was spawned out of USAID."
Earlier Wednesday, Musk reposted a comment from Mike Benz, the executive director for the Foundation For Freedom Online, speaking on Cheney's history with the USAID saying
So apparently USAID financed ultra-progressive Politico in Brussels and basically the entire left-wing media in Hungary under the previous US administration. And they called me 'disruptor of the year'... I think the world owes a debt of gratitude to President @realDonaldTrump for uncovering and putting an end to this dark conspiracy."
Trump-ally Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on X on WednesdayUSAID is a criminal organization,
he baselessly declared
That’s when the incredulity began setting in,
she told The Journal
This is not about getting rid of foreign aid.”
Appearing on Fox News on Monday, Rubio saidWe spent the weekend feeding USAID into the wood chipper,
Musk boasted in a social media postThank you for your service.”
The message was put on the revived USAID site, ending with the wordsThere are things we do through USAID that we should continue to do that make sense,
he addedThat’s a huge risk to those individuals, but it’s also a risk to the health of the world more broadly,
Konyndyk added
To be very explicit about what is being turned off, the sort of things that are being stopped, are programs that support 20 million people on lifesaving HIV treatment right now,
Jeremy Konyndyk, a former USAID employee and president of Refugees International, a rights advocacy organization, told NBC NewsConsidering raising $500B from USAID, ... Funding secured. Stop me if you can Elon Musk,
he wrote, adding ... he wroteWhy is Cory Booker so angry at the idea of making sure American tax dollars are spent to further the national interest of the United States and not on things like ‘LGBT activism’ in Guatemala?"
Team Trump wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter
We will fight their violation of civil service laws. We will fight their violation of civil rights laws. We will fight their violations of separation of powers. We will fight their violations of our Constitution of the United States of America,
Booker saidCory Booker is having an absolute meltdown because we don't want American tax dollars to be wasted on bizarre projects in foreign countries,
LibsofTikTok wroteSen. Cory Booker is BIG MAD that lesbian dance therapy for Ethiopians will no longer be paid for by US tax dollars Why are Democrats like this?"
wrote another user, Nick Sorter