‘USAID is a criminal organisation,’ says Elon Musk amid Trump’s spending freeze

Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has ignited controversy by labeling the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) a “criminal organisation” following a dispute between the agency and a government task force led by him.

The dispute escalated after two security officials were placed on leave for denying access to personnel from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a federal task force chaired by Musk.

In a post on his social media platform, X, Musk stated, “Time for it to die,” referring to USAID.

According to Al Jazeera, the incident began when DOGE representatives were initially refused entry to restricted areas due to a lack of security clearances. Reports later indicated that the task force members eventually gained access, though the circumstances remain unclear.

ALSO READ: Australian teenage girl killed in shark attack

White House Director of Communications, Steven Cheung, denied claims that DOGE personnel attempted to enter secure areas, dismissing a PBS report on the matter as “fake news” and “not even remotely true at all.”

Adding to the controversy, a DOGE official, Katie Miller, stated that no classified material was accessed without proper clearance.

However, the White House director of communications, Steven Cheung, denied that DOGE personnel had attempted to gain access to secure areas, calling a PBS report about the incident “fake news” and “not even remotely true at all.”

“This is how unserious and untrustworthy the media is,” Cheung said in a post on X.

A DOGE official, Katie Miller, later confirmed that no classified material was accessed without proper clearance.

READ MORE FROM: NIGERIAN TRIBUNE