WASHINGTON, February 3, 2025 (WAFA) - Billionaire US government efficiency minister Elon Musk said President Donald Trump agreed with him on the need to close the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
Musk added in a statement during a conversation on X that Trump expressed his support for this decision after detailed discussions between them, "I went over it in detail with (the president) and he agreed that we should close it."
When asked about the agency, Trump described in press statements yesterday he work of USAID as being run by "a group of radical lunatics," stressing that they are currently being eliminated, and that a decision will be made regarding the future of the agency at a later time.
Musk's statements come after senior employees at the agency were suspended from work on Saturday, after they refused to allow members of the "Administration for Government Efficiency" (DOGE) to access the agency's systems, even after they threatened to contact the authorities.
About 60 other senior employees at the agency were suspended last week on charges of trying to circumvent an executive order from Trump to freeze foreign aid for 90 days.
This escalation comes at a sensitive time, amid many questions about the future of the United States Agency for International Development, which remains one of the main tools of the United States in providing international support.
During his first term in office (2017-2021), President Trump took a hardline stance on foreign aid, which was reflected in USAID, which is the main arm of the US government in providing humanitarian and development aid around the world.
In 2018, Trump stopped the agency’s funding for projects supporting Palestinian refugees and development programs in the West Bank and Gaza.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is an agency of the United States federal government, primarily responsible for managing civilian foreign aid.
It was established in 1961 and is one of the largest development assistance agencies in the world.
The agency provides a variety of forms of support to the Palestinians in the form of projects, most notably supporting economic development, improving infrastructure, promoting trade and investment, and supporting the health and education sectors.
K.T
