US adversaries are loving Musk’s hostile takeover of aid agency
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Russian aides are rejoicing over President Donald Trump and billionaire DOGE bro Elon Musk’s hostile takeover of the U.S. Agency of International Affairs. “Smart move by [Musk], trying to plug USAID's Deep Throat. Let's hope notorious Deep State doesn't swallow him whole…” deputy chairman of the Security Council of Russia Dmitry Medvedev wrote on X. Meanwhile, Maria Zakharova, director of information and press for Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, shared similar thoughts via Telegram. "USAID means the coordinated suppression—at the request of its sponsors—by its so-called 'pocket' media of inconvenient topics, facts, and opinions that do not fit the Washington-approved version of events,” she said. The U.S. Agency for International Development, where Democrats held a press conference on Feb. 3 to oppose Elon Musk’s illegal takeover. USAID is an independent agency that manages civilian foreign aid and assistance for developing nations. In addition to detecting global viruses, it plays a crucial role in promoting democracy worldwide. By supporting countries in need, USAID bolsters a "soft power" strategy that contributes to more balanced international relations among leading nations. As Vladimir Putin’s sycophants voice their admiration of Trump and Musk gutting the agency, Democrats held a press conference outside of the USAID office Monday. They reminded Americans that infiltrating federal offices, locking employees out, seizing classified information, and closing down the federal website over the weekend was illegal. “USAID is a criminal organization. Time for it to die,” Musk wrote on X. Democrats also said that the dismantling of a government agency must be authorized by Congress. Thus, Trump does not have the authority to shut down USAID, which, they argue, would further increase the power of foreign adversaries at a time when the threat of U.S. destabilization has never been higher. “Make no mistake, this effort by Elon Musk and so-called DOGE to shut down USAID is an absolute gift to our adversaries,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland said during the press conference. “ “To Russia, to China, to Iran and others because AID is an essential instrument of U.S. foreign policy and U.S. national security policy,” he added. “This has nothing to do with making the U.S. government more efficient and everything to do with aiding and abetting our adversaries around the world.” This press conference was held after Trump tapped Secretary of State and lapdog Marco Rubio as the acting director of USAID. Hours earlier, Musk was assigned to shut down the agency, confirming the takeover of the autonomous agency. President Donald Trump tapped Secretary of State Marco Rubio as the acting director of USAID. “It’s a completely unresponsive agency. It has to be aligned with American foreign policy. I said very clearly when, during my confirmation hearing, that every dollar we spend and every program we fund that program will be aligned with the interests of the United States. USAID has a history of sort of ignoring that, deciding that it’s a global charity separate from the national interest,” Rubio told reporters. Meanwhile, Musk’s extensive business deals in China show a glaring conflict of interest. “China is cheering at this action today,” Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut said during the press conference. In July, Sen. Tim Kaine, Democrat of Virginia, and Sen. Todd Young, Republican of Indiana, introduced the bipartisan Fully Funding Our National Security Priorities Act to empower USAID and the State Department. It would have allowed USAID to submit an “underfunded” list of priorities to “effectively counter the People’s Republic of China, which is rapidly expanding its global diplomatic presence,” but the bill died before even leaving the committee. “China is rapidly expanding its diplomatic footprint around the world. Now is not the time to cut resources at the State Department and USAID. We should be doing the exact opposite,” Kaine said in a press release. Now at the helm of Trump, cronies like Musk and Rubio have taken it upon themselves to shutter the entire agency, be it legal or not. Meanwhile, Russia and China, it seems, are thrilled to have reduced U.S. oversight, giving them greater freedom to expand their corrupt global influence. You can help ensure that Daily Kos remains the paywall-free home for our shared fight for democracy and justice. Readers like you support Daily Kos. Can you chip in today?
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/2/4/2301144/-US-adversaries-are-loving-Musk-s-hostile-takeover-of-aid-agency?pm_campaign=blog&pm_medium=rss&pm_source=main
Russian aides are rejoicing over President Donald Trump and billionaire DOGE bro Elon Musk’s hostile takeover of the U.S. Agency of International Affairs. “Smart move by [Musk], trying to plug USAID's Deep Throat. Let's hope notorious Deep State doesn't swallow him whole…” deputy chairman of the Security Council of Russia Dmitry Medvedev wrote on X. Meanwhile, Maria Zakharova, director of information and press for Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, shared similar thoughts via Telegram. "USAID means the coordinated suppression—at the request of its sponsors—by its so-called 'pocket' media of inconvenient topics, facts, and opinions that do not fit the Washington-approved version of events,” she said. The U.S. Agency for International Development, where Democrats held a press conference on Feb. 3 to oppose Elon Musk’s illegal takeover. USAID is an independent agency that manages civilian foreign aid and assistance for developing nations. In addition to detecting global viruses, it plays a crucial role in promoting democracy worldwide. By supporting countries in need, USAID bolsters a "soft power" strategy that contributes to more balanced international relations among leading nations. As Vladimir Putin’s sycophants voice their admiration of Trump and Musk gutting the agency, Democrats held a press conference outside of the USAID office Monday. They reminded Americans that infiltrating federal offices, locking employees out, seizing classified information, and closing down the federal website over the weekend was illegal. “USAID is a criminal organization. Time for it to die,” Musk wrote on X. Democrats also said that the dismantling of a government agency must be authorized by Congress. Thus, Trump does not have the authority to shut down USAID, which, they argue, would further increase the power of foreign adversaries at a time when the threat of U.S. destabilization has never been higher. “Make no mistake, this effort by Elon Musk and so-called DOGE to shut down USAID is an absolute gift to our adversaries,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland said during the press conference. “ “To Russia, to China, to Iran and others because AID is an essential instrument of U.S. foreign policy and U.S. national security policy,” he added. “This has nothing to do with making the U.S. government more efficient and everything to do with aiding and abetting our adversaries around the world.” This press conference was held after Trump tapped Secretary of State and lapdog Marco Rubio as the acting director of USAID. Hours earlier, Musk was assigned to shut down the agency, confirming the takeover of the autonomous agency. President Donald Trump tapped Secretary of State Marco Rubio as the acting director of USAID. “It’s a completely unresponsive agency. It has to be aligned with American foreign policy. I said very clearly when, during my confirmation hearing, that every dollar we spend and every program we fund that program will be aligned with the interests of the United States. USAID has a history of sort of ignoring that, deciding that it’s a global charity separate from the national interest,” Rubio told reporters. Meanwhile, Musk’s extensive business deals in China show a glaring conflict of interest. “China is cheering at this action today,” Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut said during the press conference. In July, Sen. Tim Kaine, Democrat of Virginia, and Sen. Todd Young, Republican of Indiana, introduced the bipartisan Fully Funding Our National Security Priorities Act to empower USAID and the State Department. It would have allowed USAID to submit an “underfunded” list of priorities to “effectively counter the People’s Republic of China, which is rapidly expanding its global diplomatic presence,” but the bill died before even leaving the committee. “China is rapidly expanding its diplomatic footprint around the world. Now is not the time to cut resources at the State Department and USAID. We should be doing the exact opposite,” Kaine said in a press release. Now at the helm of Trump, cronies like Musk and Rubio have taken it upon themselves to shutter the entire agency, be it legal or not. Meanwhile, Russia and China, it seems, are thrilled to have reduced U.S. oversight, giving them greater freedom to expand their corrupt global influence. You can help ensure that Daily Kos remains the paywall-free home for our shared fight for democracy and justice. Readers like you support Daily Kos. Can you chip in today?
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/2/4/2301144/-US-adversaries-are-loving-Musk-s-hostile-takeover-of-aid-agency?pm_campaign=blog&pm_medium=rss&pm_source=main