Elon Musk says USAid is ‘beyond repair’ and he is working to shut it down
GuardianFEB 19
Trump Moves to Shut Down USAID
Above: The US Agency for International Development (USAID) headquarters in Washington, DC. Image copyright: Kevin Dietsch/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Spin
Republican narrative
The foreign aid bureaucracy wastes billions of taxpayer dollars and gives money to countries that don't even want the aid because they know it's going to do more harm than help. USAID is beyond repair and it's crucial that its funds be redirected toward the domestic priorities of the administration.
Democratic narrative
USAID plays a vital role in advancing US national security interests through humanitarian assistance, development programs, and crisis response worldwide. Dismantling the agency severely damages American global leadership and also violates federal law because Congress has already allocated the agency's funding.