Trump Calls USAID Leadership ‘Radical Lunatics’ “`

Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) reportedly conducted an audit of USAID’s systems last week.

President Trump criticized the US Agency for International Development (USAID), calling its leadership “radical lunatics.” This followed the suspension of two top USAID security officials who allegedly attempted to block DOGE’s access to agency systems.

USAID’s mission is to advance American interests globally through aid to foreign governments and international entities.

Trump stated on Sunday that USAID is managed by “a bunch of radical lunatics,” adding that his administration is removing them and will subsequently decide the agency’s future.

This statement followed reports of DOGE’s audit of USAID headquarters in Washington D.C., a subsequent website outage, and the disappearance of its X account amidst White House discussions regarding a potential merger with the State Department.

Musk reported on Monday that he spoke with Trump, who supposedly agreed to shut down USAID.

During an X Spaces discussion on Sunday night, Musk recounted conversations with Trump, confirming the president’s decision to close the agency.

Musk previously accused USAID of funding bioweapon research, including projects allegedly linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, referring to the agency as a “criminal organization.”

DOGE inspectors accessed USAID’s internal systems, including its website and databases, according to sources familiar with the matter.

This reportedly included systems containing data on past and current programs and congressionally mandated performance data for all global USAID programs.

The group also reportedly gained control of USAID’s system for budgeting, accounting, and financial transactions.

Two senior USAID security officials were reportedly placed on leave for attempting to restrict DOGE’s access to classified documents during the financial review.

Approximately 60 senior USAID career officials were placed on administrative leave last week, following Trump’s executive order suspending most foreign aid for a 90-day spending review.

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