U.S. President Donald J. Trump has reportedly granted CEO of SpaceX, Elon Musk, permission to shut down USAID.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is an independent agency of the United States government dedicated to administering civilian foreign aid by supporting social issues, Health, Disaster relief, socioeconomic development, and lots more.

According to reports, this decision was put underway after top USAID security personnel refused to grant administrative access to members of the newly launched Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led by Elon Musk, access to the USAID system, requesting them to get security clearance.

Following this incident, the two security personnel were sent on administrative leave indefinitely.

USAID staff have been instructed to stay out of the institution’s headquarters via emails. Likewise, over 600 staff have reportedly been locked out of their work computer systems. The ‘direct-hire’ personnel have been informed that they will be placed on leave this Friday, and only those on “mission-critical functions, core leadership and specially designated programs” will continue work as announced by the agency.

Acknowledging his success in the private sector, former CEO of Microsoft, Bill Gate believes Elon Musk does not fully understand and appreciate the humanitarian work of the USAID.

Many critics hold the view that it is a ‘despicable’ move to shut down a foreign aid agency that has been donating billions of dollars to support humanitarian initiatives across the globe, and on the contrary, others believe it’s a move to expose corruption in the U.S.