President Donald Trump's press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, didn't bat an eye when reporters inquired about tech billionaire Elon Musk's proposal to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development, arguing Musk is fully qualified to understand the agency's functions.
"What expertise does Elon Musk have in the areas of global health or humanitarian aid to assess what's happening at USAID?" a reporter asked Leavitt in an exchange captured on C-SPAN.
"He's a once-in-a-generation business leader," replied Leavitt, whose remarks on Trump policies have already landed the administration in legal trouble. "And I think Elon Musk has a little bit of common sense."
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The apparent moves to shutter USAID have been widely decried as illegal by experts, who have said Congress alone has the power to authorize or terminate the independent agency. The Trump administration has locked out USAID employees from their offices and appears intent on moving the agency's functions under the umbrella of the State Department, with cooperation from newly appointed Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Already the move has prompted outrage and protests, with Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) vowing to put an indefinite hold on every single State Department appointee in the Senate until the agency is properly functioning again.
This also comes as Musk moves to take control of several other agencies, including the payment system used by the Treasury Department — prompting a lawsuit from the civil service employee unions AFGE and SEIU.
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