Jonathan Swan

Well, he has turned his attention very aggressively towards the US Agency for International Development, which is known as USAID. This is the agency that is charged with delivering humanitarian assistance overseas. to some of the most vulnerable people around the world, you know, nutritional assistance for children, designed to help promote stability and humanitarianism.

And we've seen now a pretty stunning series of events. A week ago, members of Musk's team entered the headquarters of USAID. They demanded and were granted access to the agency's financial and personnel systems.

And we've seen now a pretty stunning series of events. A week ago, members of Musk's team entered the headquarters of USAID. They demanded and were granted access to the agency's financial and personnel systems.

During that period, an acting administrator at the agency put about 60 senior officials on paid leave and issued stop work orders that led to the firing of hundreds of contractors with full-time employment and health benefits. By Saturday, the agency's website vanished. Like, literally just disappeared, went dark.

During that period, an acting administrator at the agency put about 60 senior officials on paid leave and issued stop work orders that led to the firing of hundreds of contractors with full-time employment and health benefits. By Saturday, the agency's website vanished. Like, literally just disappeared, went dark.

And when the top two security directors at USAID tried to stop members of the Musk team from entering a secure area to get classified files, they were placed on administrative leave. Katie Miller, who works on the Musk Initiative, said on X that no classified material was accessed without proper security clearances. But by Monday, USAID was effectively paralysed. And...

And when the top two security directors at USAID tried to stop members of the Musk team from entering a secure area to get classified files, they were placed on administrative leave. Katie Miller, who works on the Musk Initiative, said on X that no classified material was accessed without proper security clearances. But by Monday, USAID was effectively paralysed. And...

Musk has said that the president agreed that we should shut it down.

Musk has said that the president agreed that we should shut it down.

Well, remember, it's Congress, not the president, that gets to decide how to structure the executive branch of government. And Congress has enacted laws that says USAID should exist as an independent establishment. So this is running directly into very serious legal questions and questions about whether Congress... is going to assert itself as Trump basically runs roughshod over the institution.

Well, remember, it's Congress, not the president, that gets to decide how to structure the executive branch of government. And Congress has enacted laws that says USAID should exist as an independent establishment. So this is running directly into very serious legal questions and questions about whether Congress... is going to assert itself as Trump basically runs roughshod over the institution.

Right. And in terms of Musk's own authority, he's effectively unaccountable because Trump has given him his blessing. It's not like Trump is really interested in the minutia of the United States digital service or the treasury payment system or all of these pretty wonky and in some cases quite obscure parts of government that Musk and his team are taking control of.

Right. And in terms of Musk's own authority, he's effectively unaccountable because Trump has given him his blessing. It's not like Trump is really interested in the minutia of the United States digital service or the treasury payment system or all of these pretty wonky and in some cases quite obscure parts of government that Musk and his team are taking control of.

He keeps Trump, you know, abreast. He drops into White House meetings. He has an office in the West Wing. He'll go into the Oval, talk to Trump on the phone. But even like senior members of the White House staff have found themselves in the dark about what he's doing and trying to figure out after the fact what

He keeps Trump, you know, abreast. He drops into White House meetings. He has an office in the West Wing. He'll go into the Oval, talk to Trump on the phone. But even like senior members of the White House staff have found themselves in the dark about what he's doing and trying to figure out after the fact what

One Trump official that one of my colleagues talked to who only spoke on the condition of anonymity said that Musk was widely seen as operating with a level of autonomy that almost no one can control.

One Trump official that one of my colleagues talked to who only spoke on the condition of anonymity said that Musk was widely seen as operating with a level of autonomy that almost no one can control.

Exactly. So you now have a situation where you have an entire federal agency that's responsible for delivering aid around the world, where employees there are in a state of... confusion, anxiety. They don't know whether their agency will exist. Sure doesn't look like it will. And no one can say this is a surprise.

Exactly. So you now have a situation where you have an entire federal agency that's responsible for delivering aid around the world, where employees there are in a state of... confusion, anxiety. They don't know whether their agency will exist. Sure doesn't look like it will. And no one can say this is a surprise.

Trump campaigned on this, that we shouldn't be spending money overseas, that we should cut our foreign spending, and has been very clear that he intended to do this. So while there are really serious legal and Nobody who's been reading our coverage and listening to Donald Trump for the last four years should have any level of surprise that he's doing this.