Department of Research, Strategic Studies and International Relations 03-02-2025

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has come under intense scrutiny after two of its senior security officials were placed on administrative leave. This move follows a confrontation in which the officials allegedly blocked members of a government task force led by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk from accessing restricted areas containing classified information.

Musk, who was appointed by U.S. President Donald Trump to head the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), took to his social media platform X to denounce USAID. Branding the agency a “criminal organization,” Musk declared that it was time for it to be dismantled. “Time for it to die,” he wrote, escalating the growing tensions between the Trump administration and the foreign aid agency.

According to multiple reports citing unnamed sources, USAID’s Director of Security, John Voorhees, and his deputy, Brian McGill, were suspended from their roles after they refused to grant DOGE personnel access to classified areas due to their lack of proper security clearances. Despite the initial refusal, the representatives of DOGE ultimately gained entry to secure sections of USAID’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., a situation first reported by CNN.

While some reports indicate that DOGE officials forcefully obtained access to restricted materials, the White House has denied these claims. Steven Cheung, the White House Director of Communications, dismissed a PBS report on the incident, calling it “fake news” and “not even remotely true at all.” However, a member of the DOGE team, Katie Miller, seemed to indirectly confirm the attempt, asserting that “no classified material was accessed without proper security clearances.”

Speculation Over USAID’s Future Amid Trump’s Foreign Aid Freeze

The controversy deepened when, over the weekend, USAID’s official website temporarily went offline. At the same time, a simplified version of its webpage appeared on the Department of State’s website, leading to speculation that the foreign aid agency could be merged into the department responsible for U.S. foreign policy.

Senator Chris Coons, a Democrat from Delaware, took to X to voice his alarm, suggesting that Trump’s administration was actively working to dismantle the agency. “President Trump spent two weeks harassing and laying off USAID employees, and now his team is trying to gut the agency altogether,” Coons stated. He emphasized that USAID professionals play a critical role in advancing U.S. global leadership and national security.

Jeremy Konyndyk, a former USAID official who served as Director of the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance between 2013 and 2017, warned that shutting down the agency without congressional approval would violate U.S. law and undermine the separation of powers. “If this gambit succeeds – if Trump (or Elon) can just override Congressional statutes and funding mandates, and Congress acquiesces – it’s a very dark sign … and it won’t stop at USAID,” Konyndyk wrote on X.

Musk’s Expanding Influence in the Trump Administration Raises Concerns

As controversy over the USAID confrontation continues, Democratic lawmakers are voicing broader concerns over Elon Musk’s influence within the government. The billionaire, who holds no elected office, has been given significant authority within the Trump administration, particularly through his leadership of DOGE.

The New York Times and The Associated Press reported that DOGE recently gained access to the federal payment system, which contains highly sensitive financial and personal information about millions of Americans. This revelation has further fueled fears about Musk’s expanding reach within the federal government.

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York issued a sharp rebuke, warning of the national security risks posed by Musk’s growing influence. “This is a five-alarm fire. The people elected Donald Trump to be President – not Elon Musk,” she wrote on X. “Having an unelected billionaire, with his own foreign debts and motives, raiding U.S. classified information is a grave threat to national security. This should not be a partisan issue.”

Trump Targets Foreign Aid to South Africa Over Land Reforms

Amid the USAID controversy, President Trump announced a complete halt to U.S. foreign aid to South Africa in response to the country’s newly passed land reform policies. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa recently signed legislation allowing the government to confiscate land from white farmers without compensation in certain cases, a move that has sparked intense international debate.

Trump, addressing reporters on Sunday, pledged to “get the radical lunatics out of USAID” before making final decisions about the agency’s future. He then specifically targeted aid to South Africa, vowing to block all future funding until the situation was fully investigated.

“The United States won’t stand for it, we will act,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. He justified the funding freeze by claiming that South Africa’s policies were unfairly targeting “certain classes of people.”

Uncertain Future for USAID and U.S. Foreign Assistance

The clash between the Trump administration and USAID has ignited a fierce debate over the future of U.S. foreign aid. While Trump’s base has largely supported efforts to cut back on international assistance, critics argue that dismantling USAID would weaken U.S. diplomatic influence and global stability.

With Trump doubling down on his pledge to reduce foreign aid and Musk openly calling for USAID’s dissolution, the agency’s fate remains uncertain. If the administration proceeds with efforts to either absorb USAID into the State Department or eliminate it altogether, it could mark a historic shift in how the U.S. engages with the world through development and humanitarian initiatives.