Top Line
Billionaire government efficiency chief Elon Musk has repeatedly spread unfounded or false claims about X’s International Development Agency, including unsupported claims.
The misinformation about USAID has quickly spread to social media as the Trump administration is gutting its agency. …(+)
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Important facts
Many false and misleading claims about USAID spending practices have spread rapidly to X and are backed by billionaires, including Musk and Bill Ackman.
Is USAID a form of “money laundering”?
There is no evidence to suggest that USAID is engaged in money laundering. On Saturday afternoon, Musk reposted X’s claim. This suggests that USAID is “a form of the form of laundry laundry for tax payers,” adding “absolutely,” but the poster also does not provide sources or factual information. did. Republicans criticize the organisation for allegedly wasted spending, but there is no evidence that USAID is engaged in criminal activity to support left-wing organisations.
Has Samantha Power made $23 million as USAID Chief?
No. Musk responds to X’s post claiming that former USAID Chief Samantha Power won $23 million between 2020 and 2024 while working as a USAID administrator, according to federal records I did. It’s a multi-million dollar adjustment. In 2020, power disclosed the royalties and sales of the book. Sales from the book were not over $1,000. In 2024, Power disclosed retirement funds and other assets held in ETFs and mutual funds, worth up to $1 million. For over four years, some of Power’s assets have been valuable, but many of them are mutual funds tracking a wide range of stock market indexes, with evidence that growth has something to do with her work at USAID. there is no.
Was taxpayer funds used to create “transgender mice”?
Rep. Nancy Mace, Rs.C. claimed at the hearing a $10 million taxpayer fund, taxpayer fund that supported the research that created “transgender mice, rats, and monkeys.” Mace said these studies forced “surgical (mutated) animal genitals” and forced the animals to undergo “invasive surgery and hormone therapy.” Some US funds have been used in research to study the effects of hormone therapy on mice, but reports from the White Coat Waste Project for Anti-Animal Testing, but surgeries and monkeys are noted. Not involved. Other studies have only proposed using mice to study the effects of hormone therapy. These include how it affects vaccine response, the effectiveness of drugs commonly used in sexual assault, and whether hormones change behavior. Neither Mace’s office nor the Whitecoat waste project immediately responded to requests for comment on whether the research was involved in surgery.
Has Chelsea Clinton received a big salary from USAID?
no. Several virus posts on X claim that Chelsea Clinton raked in a massive amount of $84 million from USAID, but references to Clinton actually refer to her family’s Clinton Foundation and USAID money The Clinton-related organization received is Clinton Health Access. According to USASPENDING.GOV, the initiative that USAID gave $7.5 million in 2019. The grants given to the Clinton Health Access Initiative will be used to fund Zambia’s health services between 2019 and 2021, with Chelsea Clinton not receiving compensation as a board member. Grants were used, including the yearly, according to IRS documents.
Has Usaid paid celebrities to visit Ukraine, including Ben Stiller and Angelina Jolie?
There is no evidence that celebrities paid to famous people to visit Ukraine. Several viral social media posts accused USAID of paying Ben Stiller, Angelina Jolie, Sean Penn and Orlando Bloom, travelling to Ukraine and taking photos with Ukrainian President Voldymir Zelensky. (Forbes reached out to Stiller, Jolie, Penn and Bloom for comment). Stiller is called “completely false” and “false” in X’s post, self-funding a trip to Ukraine and has not received money from USAID. “Penn self-funded his visit and threatened to take legal action if “the statement of honor and loss continues.” Musk amplified these false claims with X and reposted a video manufactured to appear to have been reported by E! News (E! News denied making the video in a statement to AFP).
Have you ever looked into the USAID fund that caused Covid-19?
No. Musk reposted an unproven claim that USAID funded research by the scientific non-profit EcoHealth Alliance that led to the creation of Covid-19. USAID and other government agencies are giving IT funding, and while some of the EcoHealth Alliance methods are controversial, the group is not as similar as it previously was associated with the start of the Covid-19 pandemic He says that.
Was politics paid by the government?
Yes – But for subscriptions, it’s not a USAID grant. Musk, Trump and other right-wing figures have spread false claims that USAID has given news outlet Politico millions of dollars. . However, according to USaspending.gov’s financial records and statements from the company, Politico has never received a donation from USAID. USAID spent $44,000 on a Politico Pro subscription between 2023 and 2024. The news outlet describes it as “a professional subscription service used by businesses, organizations, and yes, several government agencies,” and is aimed at professional users in the private sector. I want to track the law, policies and news (subscriptions reportedly start at around $10,000). Politico said he has never received government subsidies or grants and made it clear that the purchase of USAID is a “trade” rather than a “finance.” After “technical errors” delayed the salary of Politico staff earlier this week, the political plot funded by USAID is false conclusion that Xures was silly incorrect in the USAID that was thwarted before the pay issue. I led him to jump to. Funding the outlet.
Has USAID funded other media organizations like the BBC?
Other news outlets were facing similar hoaxes to Politico as X users misleaded and sometimes completely misleading falsehood. Like Politico, some of these transactions were government subscription payments, not grants or grants. The New York Times said it had not received the grant, revealing that the federal funds received were “a subscription payment purchased by government agencies and agencies to better understand the world.” Reuters and the Associated Press also said they have not received government grants, and the agency has purchased a subscription instead. USAID and other government agencies fund several global media organizations, but not many of the well-known outlets targeting X. The BBC received about 8% of its revenue in a statement supporting BBC Media Action, a charity arm that supports local media around the world. From the US government between 2023 and 2024, the charity is completely different from BBC News, which has not received funding. Federal records show that USAID has made a BBC media charity (a $1.9 million donation to the BBC media charity, not BBC News) to support its efforts in India. Rumors that USAID funded BBC News have been boosted by Musk and billionaire Marc Andreessen in a now-deleted tweet. USAID’s fundraising efforts support the costumes of other journalism in countries with limited democracy and freedom press, including Ukrainian and Russian media, and organized crime and corruption reporting projects that support corruption reports around the world. I’m supporting it.
Did USAID fund condoms in Gaza, or Afghanistan?
Rumors that Doge has identified millions of people in condom spending in Gaza and the Middle East have spread without evidence. Trump spokesman Caroline Leavitt claimed last week that USAID spent $50 million on Gaza condoms. Leavitt may be referring to the USAID grant issued to the International Medical Corps. This was a group that provided assistance to victims of war totaling over $100 million, which included “family planning programming” that included birth control pills, and was typical for the assistance. The Associated Press reports that packages to developing countries have been reported. R-Ga. In a CNN interview on Thursday, Rep. Buddy Carter argued that USAID spent $15 million on Taliban condoms, reflecting claims made by R-FLA MP Brian Mast this week. The Atlantic reported that USAID had previously funded condoms for Afghan citizens rather than the Taliban (which controls the Afghan government), but CNN said it had previously funded condoms for Afghan citizens. They reported that they did not fund the entire condom. In X’s post, Musk said the US should not “send taxpayer money to buy condoms for foreigners,” and “in Hamas’ pockets” for unfounded money for contraceptives It was based on the evidence.
Has USAID funded “Transgender Opera” and “Day Musical”?
No. Leavitt and several virus posts in X claimed that USAID spent thousands on “transgender opera in Colombia.” And the government granted Columbia University to increase transgender representation in the opera, but that wasn’t USAID. The State Department gave $25,000 to the University of Los Andes in Bogota for its purposes in 2021. Similarly, the State Department gives $70,000 in 2022, funding musicals that promote “diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility” in Ireland.
Has USAID spent $6 million on “Egypt tourism”?
No. USAID announced its $6 million payment to Egypt and announced that it would “increase educational opportunities and enhance the lives of the people of North Sinai.” The White House fact sheet does not mention tourism at all, linking to the announcement of USAID, which issued Trump’s first administration in 2019.
Was any of the controversial claims of USAID spending true?
yes. USAID funded several programs that were denounced by Republicans. USAID gave $1.5 million in 2022 “diversity, equity and inclusion in the Serbian workplace and business community” to increase employment opportunities for LGBTQ Serbs. The payment was condemned by several Congressional Republicans, including Levitt and Sen. Ted Cruz of R-Texas. The White House also criticized USAID’s $2 million payment for “sexual changes” in Guatemala, which is not true. However, USAID paid $2 million in Guatemala for “strengthening trans-led organizations” and “gender-affirming health care,” but gender-retaining care covers more than surgery. , it is unclear which medical care the grant used.
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