A federal appeals court just gave Elon Musk and the Trump administration the green light to keep demolishing USAID.
At least, for now.
The Hill reports:
A federal appeals court on Friday enabled Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to resume efforts to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
In a win for the Trump administration, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily lifted a lower ruling that found Musk was exercising enough independent authority to require Senate confirmation under the Constitution’s Appointments Clause.
“While defendants’ role and actions related to USAID are not conventional, unconventional does not necessarily equal unconstitutional,” U.S. Circuit Judge Marvin Quattlebaum wrote.
“And none of this is to say that plaintiffs will not be able to develop evidence of unconstitutional conduct as the case progresses. Time will tell,” he added.
ADVERTISEMENTThe Trump administration has quickly looked to eliminate USAID as Musk and the president claim the foreign aid agency is rife with fraud, terminating or placing on leave thousands of employees within weeks of the inauguration. This week, the administration formally began seeking to merge the agency with the State Department.
Twenty-six current and former USAID employees are suing Musk, contesting the administration’s position that he has no actual independent authority and didn’t ratify the decisions to dismantle the agency. The administration asserts the billionaire is not a formal part of DOGE and is instead a senior adviser to the president within the White House.
Earlier this month, U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang rejected that argument based on media reports and some of Musk’s own statements. Finding that some of the actions were not approved by USAID personnel, the judge indefinitely blocked Musk and DOGE personnel from shutting down the agency from the outside. Chaung is an appointee of former President Obama.
And then this happens:
This is a Guest Post from our friends over at WLTReport. View the original article here.JUST NOW: State Department is officially closing USAID, remaining staffers are fired. pic.twitter.com/5wjxdFo13o
— Ian Jaeger (@IanJaeger29) March 28, 2025
JUST ANNOUNCED: The 4th circuit has officially cleared the way for Elon Musk and DOGE to continue operating in USAID. Winning! Thanks Trump! Thanks Elon and DOGE! 





