Zinger Key Points
- USAID faces existential threat as Elon Musk eyes shutdown, stirring controversy in foreign aid circles.
- Next: Access Our New, Shockingly Simple 'Alert System'
Last week the Donald Trump administration decided to pause the 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada. In another development, Elon Musk is also moving aggressively to shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
What Happened: In a recent blog post, Mary Trump, a clinical psychologist, shed light on the implications of the recent developments in the U.S. political arena.
“Four years ago, in the lead-up to the 2020 election, I and many others warned that American democracy was on a knife's edge. I also said that if Donald ever returned to power, it would mark the end of the American experiment. I desperately wanted to be wrong. But here we are,” she wrote.
Musk is keen on shutting down USAID, a humanitarian assistance organization that has been operational since the Kennedy administration. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been appointed as acting director of USAID, a move seen as an attempt to dismantle the agency by placing it under the direct control of the State Department.
“Donald's administration is trying to dismantle USAID by placing it under the State Department's direct control. Rubio has long criticized the agency for its lack of responsiveness to the State Department's directives. Now, he's in charge of gutting it,” she further added in the post.
Democrats, however, are pushing back. Representative Jamie Raskin criticized the move, stating that the shutdown of USAID evaluations is about “termination and obliteration of the major foreign aid programs of the United States of America.”
The impact of USAID’s potential shutdown is already being felt, with programs for refugees, HIV/AIDS treatment, and war-torn regions like Ukraine and Syria now at risk.
Trump also signed an executive order directing the Treasury to create an “American Sovereign Wealth Fund”, a move that would allow the U.S. government to profit from foreign companies like TikTok.
“We knew this was coming. The relentless power grabs, the disregard for law, the erosion of democratic institutions—all of it. Donald isn't just destroying democracy; he's handing unchecked power to people like Elon Musk, a billionaire who now controls our Treasury, our foreign aid, and likely soon our government's investment portfolio. This is not normal.” Mary Trump concluded.
Why It Matters: The tariff pause and the potential shutdown of USAID are significant developments that could have far-reaching implications.
The tariff pause could potentially avert a trade war, while the shutdown of USAID could disrupt humanitarian aid programs worldwide. The creation of an “American Sovereign Wealth Fund” could also change the dynamics of the U.S. government’s relationship with foreign companies.
These developments warrant close monitoring in the coming weeks.
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