Elon Musk has fired back at Representative Ro Khanna following intense public criticism regarding the impact of the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, on international aid programs. As reported by Unilad, after Khanna suggested that Musk could be held accountable for the potential deaths of 4.5 million children due to the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development, Musk took to X to issue a sharp five-word warning: “Time to sue this liar.”
The friction between the two stems from a study published in The Lancet, which analyzed the potential consequences of defunding international humanitarian efforts. The peer-reviewed research, which involved data from 133 countries, found that the sharp reductions to USAID programs announced in early 2025 could lead to more than 14 million additional deaths globally by 2030. This projection includes more than 4.5 million children under the age of 5.
The study, co-authored by researchers from several countries including the United States and Spain, argues that these figures reflect the loss of critical services such as nutrition, education, water, sanitation, and humanitarian relief. Khanna, who has been vocal about his opposition to the Trump administration’s cost-cutting measures, brought these figures to the forefront during an appearance on the “I’ve Had It” podcast.
The dispute has escalated into a public exchange of threats
He argued that there needs to be accountability for the actions taken during Musk’s four-month tenure leading DOGE. “They’re celebrating that he created 4,400 millionaires, but they don’t talk about the 4.5 million children around the world who he possibly sentenced to death by dismantling USAID,” Khanna stated. He further suggested that the billionaire should be subpoenaed and face an investigation.
Musk did not take these accusations lightly. Following the circulation of Khanna’s comments, he responded directly on X, calling the congressman a liar and threatening legal action, and in a subsequent post defended the criteria DOGE used during his time in government, even as a judge allowed a lawsuit over his role to move forward.
He claimed the standard was simply to require contact information for aid recipients to ensure funds were not being diverted fraudulently. “The reality is that money was being sent to corrupt politicians under the guise of aid! Liars and stock insider traders like Ro the Robber should be in prison!!” Musk wrote.
The dispute has since escalated, with Khanna challenging the tech mogul to a public debate. Speaking to CNBC, Khanna said he wants to discuss the broader implications of the DOGE cuts as well as his support for a wealth tax, suggesting the debate could take place on CNN, CNBC, or at a university and leaving the choice of venue to Musk. “I challenge him to a debate, do it on CNN, do it on CNBC, do it at a university, he can pick the setting and let’s debate what happened at DOGE, let’s debate why I’m for a wealth tax,” Khanna said.
Khanna also addressed the pressure of being targeted by someone with such a massive platform, noting that it is not pleasant to be threatened with lawsuits and claims of imprisonment. For his part, Musk remains steadfast in his defense of the budget cuts, which the administration claimed saved approximately $215 billion, a claim that has drawn comparisons elsewhere to a separate efficiency push launched after DOGE wound down.
As per Unilad, these cuts have faced significant scrutiny, including over 200 lawsuits involving the gutting of USAID and concerns regarding the security of government computer systems. The research behind the controversy emphasizes that the consequences of these budget reductions are severe.
The study, published July 1, found that the programs supported by USAID had previously been associated with a 15 percent reduction in all-cause mortality and a 32 percent reduction in mortality among children under 5 between 2001 and 2021. Experts warn that the current trajectory could reverse two decades of progress in global health.
Published: Jun 24, 2026 02:00 pm