The Japan Times - Democrats blast Musk as US aid agency HQ shutters

Workers at the US Agency for International Development (USAID) were told to stay out of its Washington office after its website went dark over the weekend, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio announcing Monday it would come under his control.

Rubio said in a statement the agency had "long strayed from its original mission of responsibly advancing American interests abroad" and that he was launching a review of its activities ahead of a "potential reorganization."

But there was widespread confusion, as some 600 staffers found themselves locked out of their computer systems, ABC News reported.

Democrats were denied entry to the public lobby of the agency's headquarters by police blocking the doors as they joined around 50 demonstrators brandishing banners demanding: "Save USAID, save lives."

They blasted Trump for handing administration policy to an unelected tycoon who has undergone no background checks or confirmation process and has glaring conflicts of interest as one the largest government contractors.

"This is a brazen attempt by a billionaire who nobody voted for, to illegally and unconstitutionally steal from taxpayers so he can give himself a tax break," said Massachusetts Congressman Jim McGovern.

Virginia Congressman Gerry Connolly angrily insisted that Musk had no legal right to shutter an organization created by an act of Congress.

"It is a matter of statute. It's a matter for Congress to deal with, not an unelected billionaire oligarch named Elon Musk," he said. "And Elon, if you want to run USAID, get nominated by Trump and go to the Senate. Good luck in getting confirmed."

- 'Abuse of power' -

The aid arm of US foreign policy, USAID funds health and emergency programs in around 120 countries, including the world's poorest regions.

It is seen as a vital source of soft power for the United States in its struggle for influence with rivals including China, where Musk has extensive business interests.

The SpaceX and Tesla CEO called USAID "a viper's nest of radical-left marxists who hate America" and added that he had personally cleared the unprecedented move with the president.

Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that Musk "can't do and won't do anything without our approval" -- but he also made it clear that he was on the same page as the South African-born billionaire.

Asked if he agreed that only an act of Congress could shutter USAID, he replied, "I don't think so -- not when it comes to fraud... These people are lunatics."

It was the second day running that Trump had accused USAID of fraud, without offering any explanation or detail.

Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen called Musk's plan a "corrupt abuse of power" and a "gift to our adversaries" that is "plain illegal."

"Elon Musk may get to be dictator of Tesla, and he may try to play dictator here in Washington DC, but he doesn't get to shut down the Agency for International Development," Van Hollen said.

Congress has authority over the US budget but Musk argues his so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) can decide how money is used.

- Personal data -

The pace and intensity of Musk's operation, which is using employees brought from his own companies, has caught opponents off guard.

In one especially tense episode, Musk's team insisted on gaining access to the Treasury's highly sensitive payment system, which is used for dispatching trillions of dollars a year and contains Americans' personal data.

The assault on USAID comes in the context of long-running narratives on the hard-line conservative and libertarian wings of the Republican Party that the United States wastes money on foreigners while ignoring Americans.

The agency describes itself as working "to end extreme poverty and promote resilient, democratic societies while advancing our security and prosperity."

Its budget of more than $40 billion is a small drop in overall US government annual spending of nearly $7 trillion.

Among other criticisms, which Musk has not substantiated, he claims USAID does "rogue CIA work" and even "funded bioweapon research, including Covid-19, that killed millions of people."

One person welcoming the apparent death knell for the aid agency was former Russian president -- and ally to current ruler Vladimir Putin -- Dmitry Medvedev.

"Smart move by @elonmusk, trying to plug USAID's Deep Throat," Medvedev posted on X.

K.Nakajima--JT