A group of congressional Democrats gathered outside the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) headquarters on Monday to denounce what they described as an illegal and unconstitutional attempt by President Donald Trump and his billionaire ally Elon Musk to shut down the agency.
The lawmakers, including Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA), Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), and Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), accused Trump and Musk of overstepping executive power by effectively dismantling USAID without congressional approval.
“What Trump and Musk have done is not only wrong, it’s illegal,” said Rep. Beyer during the press conference. “USAID was established by an act of Congress, and it can only be disbanded by an act of Congress. Stopping this will require action by the courts and for Republicans to show up, show courage, and stand up for our country.”
Rep. Omar echoed his concerns, calling the move an abuse of power.
“We are witnessing a constitutional crisis,” she warned. “We talked about Trump being a dictator on day one, and here we are—this is the beginning of what dictatorship looks like.”
Omar, who lived in a refugee camp as a child, highlighted the global impact of USAID’s programmes.
“I am exceptionally upset about USAID,” she said. “It is the essential programs that USAID provided that kept my family and me fed and safe. It is the resources that so many people around the world rely on, and it is our soft power.”
Rep. Raskin took direct aim at Musk, accusing him of interfering with government functions.
“Elon Musk, you didn’t create the United States Congress for the American people, and just like you did not create USAID, you don’t have the power to destroy it,” Raskin declared. “We are going to stop him.”
Raskin also suggested Musk had overstepped his authority in other areas of federal governance.
“You may have illegally seized power over the financial payment systems of the United States Department of Treasury, but you don’t control the money of the American people—the United States Congress does,” he said. “We don’t have a fourth branch of government called Elon Musk, and that’s going to become real clear.”
LEADERSHIP reports that the controversy erupted after USAID employees reported being locked out of the agency’s computer systems overnight. A notice sent to staff directed them to stay away from the headquarters, stating that the building “will be closed to Agency personnel on Monday, February 3.”
Musk, who is leading what he calls a “civilian review” of the federal government’s structure with Trump’s approval, confirmed on Monday that he had spoken to the president about USAID’s future.
“He agreed we should shut it down,” Musk stated.
The abrupt shutdown sparked a fierce backlash from lawmakers and raised questions about executive overreach. Democrats have vowed to challenge the move in court, setting the stage for a legal and political showdown in the coming weeks.
