Four days after Donald Trump’s inauguration, Elon Musk’s top lieutenants at the Treasury Department asked its acting secretary, a career civil servant, to immediately shut off all USAID payments using the department’s own ultra-sensitive payment processing system.

Trump administration appointees and allies of Elon Musk wanted to use the Treasury’s sensitive payment system to block disbursements.

Mike Benz appeared on Joe Rogan’s podcast in late December to discuss USAID, spurring Musk’s first mention of the agency.

USAID and SpaceX worked together to support Ukraine’s war effort against Russia, and provided internet to multiple African countries.

Judges ruled on Thursday alone to extend blocks on Trump’s birthright citizenship ban, limit Elon Musk’s access to Treasury documents and pause the deadline for federal employee buyouts.

Former USAID administrators say that President Trump and Elon Musk are destroying the agency to “the detriment of all Americans.” New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof joins Chris Jansing to share his thoughts on the move and the impact it will have on the U.