Trump's first term

Sources: Elon Musk leads USAID budget cuts

Tech billionaire Elon Musk has been tasked by President Donald Trump to streamline the US aid agency USAID, a senior White House source told Reuters.

According to reports, the agency is considering merging the agency with the State Department and significantly reducing USAID's budget and workforce. Congress is expected to be informed of the plans when they are finalized.

Elon Musk has recently criticized USAID in several posts on X. In addition to running several tech companies, he also leads Trump's so-called efficiency department.

USAID staff were locked out of the agency's computer systems on Monday and told not to come to work. At the same time, USAID's websites and social media accounts have been shut down.

Donald Trump: USAID is full of left-wing lunatics

The US aid agency USAID has been all but shut down by President Donald Trump and his advisor Elon Musk on Monday. At a press conference, Trump says that USAID is a good concept.

- But it is full of radical left-wing lunatics, he adds according to Reuters.

According to previous information from the news agency, Trump plans to merge the aid agency with the State Department. The information is partly confirmed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who says that he is currently USAID's interim director general.

Elon Musk, who is not democratically appointed, has reportedly been tasked with making USAID more efficient. According to Trump, the billionaire acts only on orders from the White House.

Donald Trump has the power to severely restrict agencies like USAID, but cannot arbitrarily shut them down, writes Forbes. 

Sources: Elon Musk leads USAID budget cuts

Tech billionaire Elon Musk has been tasked by President Donald Trump to streamline the US aid agency USAID. A senior White House source told Reuters.

According to reports, the agency is considering merging the aid agency with the State Department and significantly reducing USAID's budget and workforce. Congress is expected to be informed of the plans when they are complete.

Elon Musk has recently criticized USAID in several posts on X. In addition to running several tech companies, he also leads Trump's so-called efficiency department.

USAID staff were locked out of the agency's computer systems on Monday and told not to come to work. At the same time, USAID's websites and social media accounts have been shut down.