Jankowicz Statement on Musk’s Hijacking of US Government and Foreign Policy

(Washington, D.C.) - The following is a statement from American Sunlight Project (ASP) CEO Nina Jankowicz on Elon Musk’s attempt to eliminate the US Agency for International Development (USAID):

“The American people are witnessing a hostile takeover of its systems by an unelected oligarch. Elon Musk’s illegal attempt to eliminate the US Agency for International Development will have far-reaching consequences for the peace and security Americans have enjoyed for generations. 

I have been privileged to implement USAID programs and work alongside its employees and partners throughout my career. Far from the “ball of worms” that Musk describes, USAID provides critical services to people in need all over the world—services that pay for themselves in the security and prosperity Americans enjoy. They curb HIV/AIDS and hunger and provide a voice to the voiceless, so it’s not surprising that the world’s richest man, who has never faced a day of adversity in his life, would so callously attempt to eliminate them.

Nor is it surprising that Musk—part of the Trump oligarchy— should deem the critical work USAID does to support democracy and repair the global information environment “corrupt.” There is a reason that Vladimir Putin banned USAID programming from Russia in 2012; its programs supported groups engaged in critical truth-telling missions. Like Putin, Musk and Trump benefit from an all powerful state that trafficks in lies.

Through this illegal power grab, Musk and Trump are putting American lives around the world at risk. Musk has written that USAID is “criminal” and “must die.” In fraught environments—and even here in the States—some may interpret this as a call to arms. 

While Musk and the MAGA wing of the Republican Party have railed against the work of “unelected bureaucrats” in the past, President Trump has anointed Musk - whose businesses take large amounts of government contracts and has extensive relationships with China, Russia, and other American adversaries - to become the most powerful man in the U.S. Government overnight. This will immediately cause deaths, upend our security, and make Americans less prosperous and less safe.

This hostile takeover is only the beginning of what Musk plans for the federal government, and that should scare every American. While programs that may feel far away are on the chopping block today, it might be Medicare, Social Security, or veterans’ benefits tomorrow. I urge Congress to fulfill its duty to act as a check on the Executive Branch and its unelected oligarch ally.”