Trump’s aid freeze: Musk declares “time for USAID to die” as laureates warn of worsening food security

The US Agency for International Development’s (USAID) website has shut down amid President Donald Trump’s freeze on foreign aid. The move threatens global humanitarian assistance on malnutrition, food security, emergency responses, and combating stunting.

USAID going offline is sparking debate over whether Trump plans to get rid of the agency and bring it under the State Department, raising legal issues. According to reports, the administration put top USAID security officials and 100 staff on leave after the CEO of Tesla Motors and SpaceX, Elon Musk, and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) tried to gain access to classified material. 

Trump has also appointed secretary Mark Rubio as acting administrator for USAID as a “step toward gaining control” over the agency. Rubio says he has notified congress of USAID’s upcoming review and potential reorganization. 

Musk says on X: “USAID is a criminal organization…Time for it to die.” He adds that USAID is “beyond repair” and that “none of this could be done without the full support of the president, you know. And with regard to the USAID stuff… he agreed that we should shut it down.”

Trump told reporters: “It’s [USAID] been run by a bunch of radical lunatics.”

America First agenda

Musk, whom Trump has assigned to lead a panel to cut federal costs, says he plans to shut down USAID. The freeze is part of Trump’s “America First” policy. According to Tammy Bruce, spokesperson for the US Department of State, “Trump stated clearly that the US is no longer going to blindly dole out money with no return for the American people.”

“We must refocus on American national interests. The Department and USAID take their role as stewards of taxpayer dollars very seriously.”

She says Rubio, who paused all US-state foreign assistance funding, will be reviewing all “foreign assistance programs to ensure they are efficient and consistent with US foreign policy under the America First agenda.”

In reaction to the freeze, Romilly Greenhill, CEO of Bond, the UK network for NGOs, says: “We strongly urge the new US administration to reconsider its current pause in USAID spending. Knowing the devastating impact the UK aid cuts had on marginalized communities facing conflict, poverty, and climate change globally, this decision will damage efforts to reduce poverty and erode years-long partnerships and trust.”

In 2024, USAID supported global health with almost US$10 billion.Chris Murphy, a senator from Connecticut, reacted on X: “Hearing that Trump is about to double down on the constitutional crisis. A president cannot eliminate an appropriated federal agency by executive order. That’s what a despot — who wants to steal the taxpayers’ money to enrich his billionaire cabal — does.”

Congresswoman Jahana Hayes comments: “No president has the power to unilaterally reorganize the federal government or undo laws passed by Congress. The outsized influence of Musk is dangerous and the work by Trump to dismantle USAID is unlawful, will have lasting impacts across the world, and could jeopardize US national security as other nations move to fill the void left by USAID.”

InterAction, an alliance of international NGOs, stated the importance of foreign aid that prevents humanitarian crises and curbs disease outbreaks, which are vital for US security and international stability. 

USAID key for nutrition security

In 2024, USAID’s commitment to total obligations reached US$38 billion, with major contributions to Africa and others in Southeast Asia. It supported global health with almost US$10 billion.

USAID is essential to nutrition security and women’s empowerment. Its Advancing Nutrition initiative (October 1, 2018, to February 2024) reported strengthening health and care systems by supporting 257 organizations to improve the delivery of nutrition services, focusing on maternal, infant, young child, and adolescent nutrition across 160 countries. Its targeted interventions helped 148,815 children under five and 54,139 pregnant women in this time frame.

Additionally, USAID Advancing Nutrition supported 567 organizations in delivering nutrition-sensitive programming, including food systems, food safety, nutrition-sensitive agriculture, water, sanitation, hygiene, and early childhood development. It highlighted efforts toward gender-equitable nutrition with women-empowerment training.

Meanwhile, 153 Nobel and World Food Prize laureates are sounding the alarm over the hunger crisis. “Humanity is headed toward an even more food-insecure, unstable world by mid-century than exists today, worsened by a vicious cycle of conflict and food insecurity...Today’s challenges of access to food will be exacerbated by production challenges tomorrow. We are not on track to meet future food needs. Not even close.”

Musk, whom Trump has assigned to lead a panel to cut federal costs, says he plans to shut down USAID (Image credit: investinmusk.com). “Today, 700,000,000 people are food insecure and desperately poor. About half that number don’t know where their next meal is coming from. And 60,000,000 children under the age of five are stunted — cognitively and physically impaired for life — due to nutritional deficiencies.”

Former contractor for USAID who advised on nutrition, child health and maternal health, Alex Smith told ABC News that the dismantling of the agency could have a major impact on aid in Gaza.

Following the new administration

Last week, Trump rescinded a funding freeze memo after a US court blocked the attempt and caused havoc for nutrition and food nonprofits. The White House spokesperson said the executive orders remain in “full force and effect and will be rigorously implemented.”

On his first day in office, Trump signed an executive order to withdraw from the WHO, expressing dissatisfaction with its handling of global health crises. We examined whether it was possible for the US to isolate itself from the global health space.

As Trump signed executive orders to withdraw from the Paris Climate, we also looked at how his administration’s plans for tariffs and reforms could significantly affect the country’s food and nutrition regulations and policies.