Donald Trump's chief of staff, Susie Wiles, has expressed profound shock at the manner in which billionaire Elon Musk orchestrated sweeping cuts to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), describing the process as "horrifying".
'No Rational Person' Could Endorse the Process
In an interview with Vanity Fair, Wiles stated she was "initially aghast" when Musk, the SpaceX and Tesla CEO, took what he termed his "chainsaw" to the agency. She criticised the abrupt nature of the action, which saw virtually all US aid spending slashed overnight. "No rational person could think the USAID process was a good one. Nobody," Wiles asserted.
She contrasted Musk's rapid, disruptive approach with the incremental pace of government, noting his philosophy: "If you're an incrementalist, you just won't get your rocket to the moon." While acknowledging this method gets things done, Wiles added, "with that attitude, you're going to break some china."
Devastating Consequences of the Funding Cuts
Reporting by The Independent has detailed the severe human cost of these cuts. The moves have deprived people of essential medicines, cut off access to family planning, and led directly to deaths, risking tens of thousands of lives globally.
Although the Trump administration has since restored funding in some areas, global health spending remains two-thirds lower than it was the previous year. The article also revealed that former President George W. Bush, founder of the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (Pepfar), called Secretary of State Marco Rubio to express alarm at a planned $400m (£298m) cut to the programme. Pepfar provides vital HIV treatment and prevention to millions worldwide.
Fallout and Official Rebuttal
Wiles suggested Musk moved swiftly precisely because he knew the scale of the cuts would alarm others. "He decided that it was a better approach to shut it down, fire everybody, shut them out, and then go rebuild. Not the way I would do it," she said.
Following the article's publication, which also quoted Wiles describing Trump as having an "alcoholic's personality", the chief of staff dismissed it as a "disingenuously framed hit piece." In a statement to The Independent, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended Wiles, stating she has helped Trump achieve "the most successful first 11 months in office of any President in American history" and that the entire administration is united behind her.
