Payam Javan: In a dramatic announcement on the social media platform X on February 3, entrepreneur Elon Musk revealed that officials, with President Donald Trump’s support, are shutting down the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Musk claimed that after discussions with Trump, it was decided that USAID had become irreparably dysfunctional—a “ball of worms” that needed to be completely dismantled. “We spent the weekend feeding USAID into the wood chipper,” Musk added, echoing his sentiment that the agency was beyond saving.

Trump has been openly critical of the agency, labeling its leadership as “radical lunatics” and vowing to remove them before reassessing its future. Recent actions have seen USAID’s website taken offline, hundreds of contractors laid off, and staff receiving orders to stay away from the agency’s headquarters in Washington. Musk, who heads the Department of Government Efficiency, has been a vocal advocate for tightening government spending and previously supported Trump through donations and public appearances.

The decision to shut down USAID marks a significant departure from its long-established role in U.S. foreign assistance, an institution founded by President John F. Kennedy in 1961 with a budget that has exceeded $50 billion in recent years. While Secretary of State Marco Rubio has indicated that USAID programs are under review to ensure they align with national interests, there has been no formal call to eliminate the agency altogether. The move has sparked controversy, with Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, warning that dissolving USAID would be “illegal and against our national interests.”