Why Elon Musk’s campaign against USAID hurts the U.S. economy, undermines democracy

Published 11:20 am Thursday, February 6, 2025

Elon Musk took away my job and told the world that helping others and defending American interests was evil.

Why would he target a mother in Oregon, who has dedicated her career to helping others live strong, healthy lives? Because I worked for USAID (the U.S. Agency for International Development): an agency that accounts for just 1% of the national budget but that is considered by many to be the best dollars spent to preserve American security and protect the countries’ economic interests, by promoting and demonstrating democratic values abroad.

USAID does many things:

Ensuring that millions of people do not die from HIV and malaria.

Supporting countries in building strong agricultural and economic systems that create trading opportunities for American businesses.

Helping stop pandemics from reaching the United States.

The agency has been key in helping the United States display soft power and, in turn, counter China’s and Russia’s global influence. Many developing nations prefer to partner with the United States because of the positive work USAID has done in their countries.

With the Trump administration’s foreign assistance stop-work order, many nations are now turning to China to fill the funding gap, threatening both American influence and security.

Along with saving lives and safeguarding U.S. global investments, USAID stimulates the American economy by providing jobs across the nation.

Last year alone, USAID’s funding for American small businesses exceeded $1 billion, supporting thousands of jobs across 38 states.

The stop-work order and Elon Musk’s push to dismantle USAID is estimated to end 51,946 American jobs and 100,000 jobs globally.

I’ve seen colleagues forced into unemployment, small businesses shuttered and dedicated public servants vilified by a billionaire.

These are professionals who — as Paul Krugman aptly noted in his opinion piece “It’s a Scam! It’s a Purge!” — could have taken higher-paying jobs in the private sector but chose public service to contribute to a better world.

Their dedication to creating a safer world, and thereby a safer America, has led them to be branded as villains and criminals simply for providing services to those in need, stopping pandemics and fostering stronger trade partnerships.

This tech billionaire, with no congressional mandate or security clearance, isn’t stopping with USAID.

Musk, as head of the Department of Government Efficiency, has been granted read-only access to the U.S. Treasury Department’s payment systems, and is dismantling the Department of Education. He is dictating to President Trump and Congress how to run the United States.

America should not be directed by one wealthy man, especially one who clearly does not value our democratic ideals.

When you hear him call USAID “evil,” don’t believe him. Helping others benefits both America and the world. He is only working to benefit himself and defraud the American people.

For more information: https://www.usaidstopwork.com