USAID Officials Put On Leave As Elon Musk Says Time For Agency To ‘Die’

Elon Musk has launched a scathing attack on the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), declaring it should “die” after reports surfaced that two top security officials were placed on leave for refusing to grant his team access to classified materials.

Musk, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), took to his social media platform X to brand USAID a “criminal organization” following a reported clash between his task force and security officials at the agency’s headquarters in Washington, DC.

The controversy erupted when John Voorhees, USAID’s director of security, and his deputy, Brian McGill, were reportedly suspended after denying DOGE representatives entry to secure areas due to their lack of security clearances. Despite the initial refusal, multiple reports suggest the task force ultimately gained access to areas containing classified materials, a confrontation first reported by CNN.

While the White House’s communications director, Steven Cheung, dismissed the allegations as “fake news”, a DOGE official, Katie Miller, appeared to confirm the attempted access, insisting “no classified material was accessed without proper security clearances.”

The incident has fueled growing speculation that Trump is looking to radically downsize—or even dismantle—USAID altogether. His administration recently froze nearly all foreign aid spending, and on Saturday, USAID’s official website briefly went offline, with a minimal page appearing on the State Department’s website, further igniting rumors that the agency could be absorbed into the department.

Critics argue that Trump’s actions are a direct assault on the U.S.’s global influence.

“President Trump spent two weeks harassing and laying off USAID employees, and now his team is trying to gut the agency altogether,” said Democratic Senator Chris Coons, warning that USAID’s work promotes U.S. leadership and security worldwide.

Former USAID official Jeremy Konyndyk raised legal concerns, stating that dismantling the agency without Congressional approval would violate the U.S. Constitution’s separation of powers.

The latest developments have also sparked alarm over Musk’s growing involvement in government operations despite not holding elected office. Reports indicate that DOGE recently gained access to the federal payment system, which contains sensitive personal data on millions of Americans.

“This is a five-alarm fire,” warned Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, adding that “the people elected Donald Trump to be President – not Elon Musk.” She called Musk’s access to government systems a “grave threat to national security.”

Amid the controversy, Trump doubled down on his foreign aid freeze, specifically targeting funding for South Africa. Citing land confiscations and alleged mistreatment of “certain classes of people,” he pledged to cut off all future U.S. assistance to the country.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa recently signed a contentious law allowing land confiscation without compensation in certain cases. The U.S. allocated nearly $440 million in aid to South Africa in 2023, a figure that now hangs in the balance as Trump demands a “full investigation” before any funding is restored.

With the U.S. being the largest global provider of foreign aid—disbursing $72 billion in 2023 across nearly 180 countries—critics warn that dismantling USAID could severely undermine America’s diplomatic influence. However, Trump and his allies argue that the agency has become an inefficient bureaucracy in need of drastic reform.