Elon Musk and DOGE Eliminate USAID Agency

Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency eliminated the United States Agency for International Development in January 2025. Musk drove the campaign to shutter the organization, describing the agency as a "criminal organisation" and a "viper’s nest of radical left-marxists who hate America."

The rapid dissolution of the agency resulted in the loss of thousands of jobs. The move was facilitated by a significant gap in public understanding of the federal budget. While foreign aid accounted for approximately 1% of the budget, a March 2025 survey found that 86% of adults overestimated this figure, believing it to be around 26%.

Former USAID officials stated that the agency failed to communicate its strategic value to the public. They cited specific efforts to combat the coca trade and reduce illegal migration in Colombia as examples of critical work that went unrecognized, leaving the organization vulnerable to political attacks and misinformation.