Trump calls USAID ‘radical lunatics’—report
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, is said to have conducted an audit of the agency’s systems last week. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
The Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk, reportedly audited the systems of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) last week.
President Donald Trump has criticized the leadership of USAID, claiming it has been mismanaged by “radical lunatics.” This criticism came after two senior security officials at USAID were reportedly put on leave for attempting to block the Department of Government Efficiency from accessing the agency’s systems.
USAID is responsible for advancing American interests internationally through various forms of assistance to foreign governments and global institutions.
In a statement made on Sunday regarding the agency, Trump expressed that “it’s been run by a bunch of radical lunatics, and we’re getting them out, and then we’ll make a decision” about its future.
His remarks coincided with reports indicating that representatives from the Elon Musk-led DOGE accessed USAID headquarters in Washington, D.C., for an audit last week. Over the weekend, USAID’s official website went offline, and its X account disappeared amid speculation that the White House was contemplating merging the agency with the State Department.
On Monday morning, Musk disclosed that he had spoken with Trump, who “agreed” that USAID should be shut down. He shared these thoughts during an X Spaces stream that occurred overnight from Sunday to Monday while discussing DOGE. Musk recounted checking with Trump multiple times about the decision, asking, “are you sure?” and receiving confirmation that “so we’re shutting it down.”
Previously, Musk had accused USAID of financing bioweapon research, including projects he alleges contributed to the emergence of Covid-19, describing the agency as a “criminal organization.”
Reports indicate that a team of DOGE inspectors gained access to USAID’s internal systems last Friday, including its website and critical databases. Sources familiar with the situation told ABC News that among the systems accessed were those containing reports on past and current programs and those tracking congressionally mandated performance data for all USAID programs worldwide.
Additionally, it has been reported that the group assumed control of a software system utilized by USAID for tracking and managing budgeting, accounting, and financial transactions.
Following these developments, two senior security representatives at USAID were placed on forced leave after attempting to prevent DOGE personnel from accessing classified documents during their review of the agency’s finances. Last week, approximately 60 senior career officials at USAID were also placed on administrative leave, a move that followed Trump's executive order to initiate a 90-day halt on most foreign aid to conduct a thorough spending review.
Rohan Mehta contributed to this report for TROIB News
President Donald Trump has criticized the leadership of USAID, claiming it has been mismanaged by “radical lunatics.” This criticism came after two senior security officials at USAID were reportedly put on leave for attempting to block the Department of Government Efficiency from accessing the agency’s systems.
USAID is responsible for advancing American interests internationally through various forms of assistance to foreign governments and global institutions.
In a statement made on Sunday regarding the agency, Trump expressed that “it’s been run by a bunch of radical lunatics, and we’re getting them out, and then we’ll make a decision” about its future.
His remarks coincided with reports indicating that representatives from the Elon Musk-led DOGE accessed USAID headquarters in Washington, D.C., for an audit last week. Over the weekend, USAID’s official website went offline, and its X account disappeared amid speculation that the White House was contemplating merging the agency with the State Department.
On Monday morning, Musk disclosed that he had spoken with Trump, who “agreed” that USAID should be shut down. He shared these thoughts during an X Spaces stream that occurred overnight from Sunday to Monday while discussing DOGE. Musk recounted checking with Trump multiple times about the decision, asking, “are you sure?” and receiving confirmation that “so we’re shutting it down.”
Previously, Musk had accused USAID of financing bioweapon research, including projects he alleges contributed to the emergence of Covid-19, describing the agency as a “criminal organization.”
Reports indicate that a team of DOGE inspectors gained access to USAID’s internal systems last Friday, including its website and critical databases. Sources familiar with the situation told ABC News that among the systems accessed were those containing reports on past and current programs and those tracking congressionally mandated performance data for all USAID programs worldwide.
Additionally, it has been reported that the group assumed control of a software system utilized by USAID for tracking and managing budgeting, accounting, and financial transactions.
Following these developments, two senior security representatives at USAID were placed on forced leave after attempting to prevent DOGE personnel from accessing classified documents during their review of the agency’s finances. Last week, approximately 60 senior career officials at USAID were also placed on administrative leave, a move that followed Trump's executive order to initiate a 90-day halt on most foreign aid to conduct a thorough spending review.
Rohan Mehta contributed to this report for TROIB News
