Trump and Musk score major victories as court shuts down left’s attempt to save their $40 billion taxpayer-funded slush fund.
At a Glance
- Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Trump administration’s cuts to USAID, allowing the shutdown process to continue
- USAID’s $40 billion budget will be redirected, with State Department absorbing necessary functions by July 1
- Court rejected claims that Elon Musk needed Senate confirmation, ruling he acts as Trump’s senior adviser
- Secretary of State Rubio declared USAID had “strayed from its original mission” with “too few gains and too high costs”
- Legal challenges from displaced bureaucrats and Democratic state AGs continue despite the ruling
America First Victory: Court Clears Path for USAID Dismantling
In a seismic win for government efficiency and American taxpayers, the Fourth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has cleared the way for the Trump administration to continue dismantling the bloated U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
The ruling overturns a lower court’s injunction that had temporarily halted the agency’s shutdown, rejecting the desperate attempt by bureaucrats to save their $40 billion playground of wasteful spending. This decision marks a crucial victory in President Trump’s renewed mission to drain the swamp and redirect American resources toward actually serving Americans rather than funding globalist pet projects.
The State Department wasted no time responding to the favorable ruling, announcing that USAID operations will be fully integrated into State Department by July 1. Secretary of State Marco Rubio didn’t mince words about the agency’s failures, delivering a blistering assessment of an institution that had become a massive taxpayer-funded slush fund with minimal accountability.
The integration will allow for a unified foreign policy approach that prioritizes American interests instead of funding dubious overseas initiatives with questionable benefits to our nation while the bureaucrats who administer them collect fat government paychecks.
Fourth Circuit Delivers Crushing Blow to Left’s Lawfare — Grants Emergency Stay Protecting Elon Musk, DOGE, and Gov’t Efficiency Mission from USAID Operation
The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals delivered a decisive blow to the left’s relentless lawfare on Friday.
The court… pic.twitter.com/Lnf7wk6G38
— Federal Watchdog: Anti-Lawfare Group (@FederalWD) March 29, 2025
Elon’s DOGE Has Teeth: Court Confirms Musk’s Advisory Role
The court ruling delivered another significant blow to the administrative state by confirming Elon Musk’s role as a senior adviser to President Trump, rather than requiring Senate confirmation as leftist lawyers had demanded. U.S. Circuit Judge Marvin Quattlebaum specifically noted that while Musk’s approach might be “unconventional,” that doesn’t automatically make it “unconstitutional.” This distinction is crucial as it allows the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to continue its vital work identifying and eliminating wasteful government spending without being hamstrung by the very bureaucracy it’s trying to reform.
“While defendants’ role and actions related to USAID are not conventional, unconventional does not necessarily equal unconstitutional,” U.S. Circuit Judge Marvin Quattlebaum wrote. – Source
Musk hasn’t been shy about his mission to streamline bloated government agencies. On his social media platform X, he colorfully described working through the weekend “feeding U.S.A.I.D. into the wood chipper” – a refreshingly honest characterization that stands in stark contrast to the bland bureaucratic doublespeak Americans have grown accustomed to.
The billionaire entrepreneur brings his legendary efficiency-minded approach from the private sector into government, treating taxpayer dollars with the respect they deserve rather than as an infinite resource to be squandered on ideological crusades.
Following last night's exchange in the Elon Musk constitutionality case in Maryland, where the judge said the Trump admin can't get around his order restricting DOGE people from taking actions at USAID by giving them new appointments/titles (see: https://t.co/gQeKt9ei1I), DOJ… pic.twitter.com/i1pmzsjEFE
— Zoe Tillman (@ZoeTillman) March 21, 2025
From Foreign Giveaways to America First: Redirecting $40 Billion
USAID’s massive $40 billion annual budget represents one of the largest pots of money that has been routinely shipped overseas with questionable oversight and even more questionable results. For decades, this agency has funneled American taxpayer dollars into foreign programs that often work against American interests, supporting left-wing initiatives abroad while our own citizens struggle with inflation, crumbling infrastructure, and border security failures. The Trump administration’s decisive action to redirect these funds represents a fundamental shift in priorities that puts Americans first.
“Foreign assistance done right can advance our national interests, protect our borders, and strengthen our partnerships with key allies. Unfortunately, USAID strayed from its original mission long ago. As a result, the gains were too few and the costs were too high.” – Source
Predictably, twenty-six current and former USAID employees are suing to protect their cushy positions, demonstrating exactly why this reform is so necessary. The bureaucratic self-preservation instinct is strong, but thankfully, the Fourth Circuit has recognized that President Trump has the authority to reorganize executive agencies to better serve the American people.
While other legal challenges from Democratic state attorneys general remain pending, this ruling creates important precedent for the administration’s broader government efficiency initiatives. The message is clear: the days of unaccountable spending are over.
