‘Morning Joe’ Explains How Gutting USAID Helps Foreign Adversaries: ‘It’s a Stupid Strategic Move’ | Video

“He’s not even a government employee,” MSNBC host Joe Scarborough says of Elon Musk

Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough on "Morning Joe"
Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough on "Morning Joe"

In a middle-of-the-night appearance on social media, Elon Musk announced Monday that he and Donald Trump plan to shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) – and Joe Scarborough thinks that’s just plain “stupid.”

The announcement came without any congressional approval of the action itself, which is legally required to shut down a federal agency, and it’s unclear if and when it’ll actually happen. But, discussing the idea on “Morning Joe” a few hours later, MSNBC host Scarborough scoffed at the move.

“To have the world’s richest man go in and say he’s going to basically tear this organization to the ground, not only will cause immeasurable suffering across the globe, it also will put us in a strategic disadvantage,” he said. “This is strategic. What he’s talking about doing is, I’m sorry, it is stupid.”

“And to try to vilify this organization so he can destroy it, that’s not just bad for people who are suffering — the poorest of the poor, the most disadvantaged — just strategically, talk to anybody in any administration, and they will tell you it is just a stupid strategic move,” Scarborough continued.

Scarborough further noted that USAID is “not just charity,” but an agency that also helps America’s standing on the global stage.

“It is the ultimate soft power that allows America to have an advantage over China and Russia in the third world, in the Global South,” he explained. “Because the United States is there actually not just mining for minerals and precious metals, but also helping people.”

As he went on, Scarborough turned his ire from Musk back to Congress itself, calling on them to actually step in.

“He’s not even a government employee,” he added. “And again, my question is, when are the courts going to step in? And also, when are the members of Congress — Republicans who are in charge, who authorized all of these programs, voted for all of these programs, authorized all these programs, appropriate money for all these programs, which Constitution the United States gives them the power to do — when are they going to stand up and go, ‘Wait, wait a second. This is not your power!’”

You can watch the full discussion from “Morning Joe” in the video, above.

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