Tesla CEO Elon Musk and former member of the US House of Representative Liz Cheney exchanged remarks on social media over Cheney’s past association with the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

Driving the news

The exchange began when Musk shared a post from Mike Benz, the executive director of the foundation for freedom online, saying, “Liz Cheney, who led Trump’s impeachment and the mass imprisonment campaign against thousands of Trump supporters, was spawned out of USAID.” Musk responded to the post with a one-word reaction: “Interesting.”

In response, Cheney addressed Musk directly, writing, “Damn right, Elon. I’m proud of what America did to win the Cold War, defeat Soviet communism, and defend democracy. Our nation stood for freedom. You may be unfamiliar with that part of our history since you weren’t yet an American citizen.”

Later, Benz made another post quoting Cheney’s words: “‘Damn right I was spawned out of USAID’ – Liz Cheney.” Musk then reshared it, adding, “No kidding.”

Why it matters

Liz Cheney responded to Elon Musk after he shared information about her earlier work with the USAID. The agency has been in the news recently following the Trump administration’s decision to cut back on its operations.
Founded in 1961, USAID has been involved in addressing epidemics, combating global food insecurity, funding education, and contributing significantly to US foreign policy.
This week, the agency announced that most of its direct hire employees would be placed on administrative leave, except for those in critical roles, core leadership positions, and specific programs.