President Donald Trump froze funding to the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and put thousands of employees on leave as part of a government efficiency initiative led by billionaire Elon Musk.

Elon Musk said President Donald Trump agreed the US Agency for International Development needs to be “shut down,” following days of speculation over the future of the agency after its funding was frozen and dozens of its employees were put on leave.

The U.S. Agency for International Development is on the cusp of being shuttered, according the Trump administration's billionaire adviser and Tesla CEO Elon Musk — who has been wrestling for control of the agency in recent days.

Elon Musk called USAID a criminal organization that should “die.” Proponents say it’s a key arm of U.S. influence that, if destroyed, “cannot be easily rebuilt.”

In the absence of USAID leadership, vulnerable people and governments will turn to China, Russia and terrorist organizations for help, writer says.

Elon Musk is facing the most direct legal challenge to date over the role he’s assumed in the US government, with Democratic state officials and federal employees claiming that President Donald Trump has unconstitutionally delegated vast powers to the billionaire.