Summary
Elon Musk announced that he and Trump are shutting down USAID, bypassing Congress’s authority over federal spending.
Musk claimed Trump fully supports the move, though Trump has only criticized USAID without explicitly confirming its closure.
The White House has not commented. The administration has already placed USAID officials on leave and reviewed its funding.
Critics argue the move violates federal law, setting up a potential legal battle.
I assume:
This is “free money” where they can claim their “$2T” in savings
The funny thing is most foreign aid projects are implemented by American contracting companies. A very large percentage of the money stays in the US and employs Americans. Look up DAI, Chemonics, Abt Associates, Creative Associates, TetraTech, etc. Most of these companies will go bankrupt because of these actions. In the case of Chemonics, they run a project to distribute HIV and malaria medication to millions around the world. These people will lose their medication. They also run a program to detect famine in Africa, South America, and parts of Asia https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Famine_Early_Warning_Systems_Network
Perfectly summarized. It’s a damn shame. People well die, and the US cedes influence and leaves a power vacuum China is happy to fill.
To make it worse, we spend almost nothing on it. They are saving pennies:
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/usaid-website-goes-dark-amid-trump-administrations-freeze-on-foreign-aid-worldwide
PBS is next on the chopping block. Problem solved. /s