Joni Ernst spotlights ‘obstruction and lies’ by USAID’s wasteful spending

Published February 4, 2025 2:36pm ET



Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) celebrated how Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency have set their sights on the U.S. Agency for International Development, citing the revelations she has made in her yearslong investigation into the agency.

Musk indicated Monday that USAID is “beyond repair” after several senior officials were placed on leave for not complying with President Donald Trump‘s executive order to pause all foreign aid, with Musk indicating it could shut down since the United States needs to “basically get rid of the whole thing.” Ernst explained that for years, she tried to find out how humanitarian aid for the war in Ukraine was being spent and discovered “absolute obstruction and lies” from USAID and the agency’s attempt to stop her.

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