… Elon Musk locked USAID staffers out of their building this morning. AP reported that the entrance had yellow police tape with officers blocking entry to the lobby. Musk went on an X spaces in the wee hours of the morning to announce that he was shutting it down: “It became apparent that it’s not just an apple with a worm it in. What we have is just a ball of worms. You’ve got to basically get rid of the whole thing. It’s beyond repair.”
… Musk claimed that he checked with Trump first and got his approval: “I checked with him a few times. ‘Are you sure?’ Yes, we’re shutting it down. He agreed we should shut it down.”
… USAID’s website was down this morning with no explanation, and staffers told AP they were locked out of the agency’s computer systems.
… A USAID official to NBC: “No one feels safe to go anywhere near the Ronald Reagan building. We just had Elon Musk call us a criminal organization. Our security chief was escorted out. We know we are being surveilled by DOGE.”
… Trump was then asked this morning whether it would take an act of Congress to disband USAID. Trump: “I don't know, I don’t think so. Not when it comes to fraud. These people are lunatics and if it comes to fraud, you wouldn't have to have an act of Congress.”
… Elon Musk’s fans in Russia loved the move. Former President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev: “Smart move by Elon Musk trying to plug USAID's Deep Throat. Let's hope notorious Deep State doesn't swallow him whole.”
… Michael McFaul: “In 2012, when I was the US ambassador to Russia, Putin shut down USAID inside Russia. Why? Because their work supported free markets, democracy, human rights —ie causes that threatened Putin’s dictatorship. Shutting down USAID is exactly what autocrats all over the world want.”
… Independent Ukrainian journalist Jay in Kviv: “Putin never dreamed he could ever dismantle USAID. Musk did it for him in a few days.”
… NBC reports that Musk is seeking to access USAID systems that include personnel files and security systems — including on classified systems beyond the security level of at least some of the DOGE employees. The systems also included security clearance information for agency employees.
… Congressional Democrats immediately called a press conference in front of the USAID building where they angrily denounced what Musk was doing:
… Rep. Jamie Raskin: “This is about termination and obliteration of the major foreign aid programs of the US, all of which together total less than $40 billion. We have a Pentagon budget of $900 billion. The Pentagon budget is where the defense contractor Elon Musk, who became the richest man in the world off of our money, collects his payments from, and now he is trying to shut down USAID. We are not going to allow this to happen. It will not stand.”
… Rep. John Olszewski: “Prison guards overseeing thousands of ISIS combatants in Syria walked off the job after their pay was frozen until a waiver was thrown together after the fact. Let me say that again, prison guards overseeing thousands of ISIS combatants walked off the job.”
… Sen. Chris Murphy: "Let's not pull any punches about why this is happening. Elon Musk makes billions off of his business with China. And China is cheering at this action today. There is no question that the billionaire class trying to take over our govt right now is doing it based on self-interest.”
… Sen. Andy Kim: “As Trump and Musk gut USAID today, I think back to my first day ever working for the US gov at USAID. Shame on them for demonizing Americans who are serving our nation, often in difficult and dangerous places. I worked in USAID/Africa bureau where we helped rehabilitate former child soldiers in Uganda, helped with an emerging famine in Malawi. Trump complains about China’s growing influence in Africa but then shuts down one of our best tools to fight this.”
… More Kim: “USAID helps strengthen our nation’s reputation, showcasing our power and our values. Trump admin is now doing extraordinary damage to our reputation not just in trying to stop USAID’s work but by denigrating the mission of humanitarian and development assistance as a whole. These actions by Trump/Musk show America as a nation trampling the rule of law.
… Kim said it is illegal: “Trump/Musk cannot unilaterally close USAID or transfer under State. USAID is codified by the Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998, 22 U.S.C. 6501. Any action to shut USAID down would need to go through Congress, and we will fight this. This is all self-inflicted damage. We face real national security threats, and right now our adversaries/competitors are loving what they see — America at war with itself.”
If you missed yesterday’s Bulletin, you can read it here.
… AOC - “If you want to start with waste, start with Elon’s defense contracts at the Pentagon. In fact, we should start with transparency around defense contracts in general, which take up an enormous sum of public funds. But they won’t do that, will they?”
… Former USAID official Atul Gawande to Fox: “They have turned into a shell overnight from an organization that reaches 100s of millions of people around the world. Our health programs added 6 extra years of life to children by eradicating diseases. That is all being decimated with spurious charges of corruption and mismanagement. It is a playbook coming to an agency near you. This is a gift to our enemies and competitors.”
… Gawande: “We have 21 serious outbreaks worldwide. Three are serious now: an Ebola outbreak in the capital of Uganda. Bird flu has broken out in 49 countries. Our efforts to contain them have all been shut down. We were on the verge of ending HIV, TB, and malaria. We were funding de-mining operations in Vietnam to allow farmers to get back to their fields so people can farm. The insanity and cruelty to break this independent agency. They even took down the USAID Memorial Wall which honored employees killed in the line of duty overseas. Their Memorial torn down.”
… But then Sec of State Marco Rubio gave a press conference later in the morning and announced that the decision had been reversed and USAID was not going to be shut down after all, it was just doing to be put under supervision of the State Department - in other words, him. Rubio said he “delegated the authority” to run it to someone else. He did not say who that person was: “It’s supposed to respond to policy directives of the State Department, and it refuses to do so.”
… Rubio took a different position about it than Musk: “There are things that USAID, that we do through USAID, that we should continue to do, and we will continue to do. But everything they do has to be in alignment with the national interest and the foreign policy of the United States.”
… More chaos caused by Musk, the Trump Admin has to scramble and try to put out the ensuing firestorm, then they walk it all back but come up with a BS excuse to justify their incompetence.
… Another example of that played out today with tariffs, but this one was all Trump.
… Today was Trump Tariff Theater Day as he announced tariffs over the weekend, causing the markets to take a nose dive and Republican Senators to beg and plead for exemptions. With panic setting in, Trump caves but has to save face. So then he miraculously lifts the tariffs for 30 days after Mexico and Canada agreed to basically do the same things they have been doing for years.
… Then Trump declares victory despite looking like a fool to the entire world. All very predicable. The most common MAGA cultist post I saw on social media today: “Art of the Deal!”
… Canada PM Justin Trudeau: “Canada is implementing our $1.3 billion border plan — reinforcing the border with new choppers, technology and personnel, enhanced coordination with our American partners, and increased resources to stop the flow of fentanyl. Canada is making new commitments to appoint a Fentanyl Czar, we will list cartels as terrorists, ensure 24/7 eyes on the border, launch a Canada-U.S. Joint Strike Force to combat organized crime, fentanyl and money laundering.”
… Mexican President Claudia Scheinbaum: “We reached a series of agreements: 1. Mexico will immediately reinforce the northern border with 10,000 members of the National Guard to prevent drug trafficking from Mexico to the US, particularly fentanyl. 2. The US is committed to working to prevent the trafficking of high-powered weapons to Mexico. 3. Our teams will begin working today on two fronts: security and trade.”
… But on April 12, 2021, Mexico also announced that it was sending 10,000 members of the National Guard to the border at the request of the Biden Administration. They didn’t have to go through all the tariff drama to make that happen either.
… One Trump fan on X complained that he folded: “I don't like this at all. It shows no commitment or backbone from our President. It shows he can be manipulated, and they called his bluff. Why not demand results first and then we remove the tariffs? Now the whole world knows he's bluffing. Nothing will change. SAD DAY.”
… Rep. Claudia Tenney was panicking on Fox before Trump backed down: “One of the concerns I have with upstate NY is that one of my cities, the copper city from NY, we produce a lot of the copper. And the commodities and the ability of our country, and particularly our state and a lot of our long time manufacturing companies, many for over 100 years, to be able to react to this. I worry a little bit about some of the carnage with some of the small businesses in upstate NY who are going to have to react because Canada is our greatest trading partner.”
… Sen. Chuck Grassley: “I plead with President Trump to exempt potash from the tariff because family farmers in Iowa get most of our potash from Canada.”
… Sen. Ron Johnson to Newsmax: "Tariffs are a tax. When you tax something, you get less of it, so we'll probably get fewer imports, but then with retaliation, fewer exports. Smoot-Hawley was not particularly successful and helped sparked the Depression, so I share the markets' concern."
… Sen. Mitch McConnell to CBS: “It will drive the cost of everything up. In other words, it will be paid for by American consumers. I mean, why would you want to get in a fight with your allies over this?”
… Rep. Nancy Mace: “Quite frankly, as an American, I don’t care what Justin Trudeau and Canada has to say about this. If this is the tool that Trump says that he believes is going to work, then we have to try it. This is short term pain for long term gain. They made their bed and now they can lie in it. We have to play hardball with these countries who know where the meth labs are.”
… Rep. Carol Miller (R-WV) also wasn’t worried: “We have plenty of lumber here. We have wonderful energy products here. Trump is a negotiator - and he is going to take care of us just as he promised to do.”
… CNN Contributor Bakari Sellers: “Understanding Musk’s fascination with USAID also requires you to recall its role in dissembling apartheid South Africa.”
… Trump added South Africa to our enemies’ list: “South Africa is confiscating land, and treating certain classes of people VERY BADLY. It is a bad situation that the Radical Left Media doesn’t want to so much as mention. A massive Human Rights VIOLATION, at a minimum, is happening for all to see. The US won’t stand for it, we will act. Also, I will be cutting off all future funding to South Africa until a full investigation of this situation has been completed!”
… Musk deleted a post and suspended the account of a user on X who listed the names of the 6 people working for his DODE office. Before nuking them, he responded to them: “You have committed a crime.” WIRED reported they are all between ages of 19-24. Musk reposted this comment from one of his fans about the incident: “Elon has 6 adderall-fueled autistic tech bro zoomers sleeping overnight at the DOGE offices and working 24/7 on maximizing government efficiency!”
… Trump’s US Attorney for DC Ed Martin told Musk that he is ready to take action: “I recognized that some of the staff at DOGE has been targeted publicly. I ask that you utilize me and my staff to assist in protecting DOGE work and DOGE workers. Any threats, confrontations, or other actions in any way that impact their work may break numerous laws. Let me assure you of this: we will pursue any and all legal action against anyone who impedes your work.”
… CNN reports that DOGE official Edward Coristine requested and is being granted “access to all Small Business Administration systems, which includes HR, contract and payment systems.”
… Musk also made it clear that if they even suspect someone in the government is talking to the media, they will be fired: “With regard to leakers: If in doubt, they are out.”
… Right-wing podcaster and attorney Tom Renz: “I like what DOGE is doing but am not convinced it’s legal and hate the precedent. What happens when we have the next Democrat presidency and they invite George Soros and Bill Gates in to do what DOGE is doing? Why aren’t conservatives concerned about the precedent? What’s the plan to keep this from being misused in the future?”
… NPR identified dozens of J6 defendants that Trump pardoned who had prior convictions or pending charges for rape, sexual abuse of a minor, domestic violence,