Rep. Ro Khanna is calling for Elon Musk to face congressional scrutiny over spending cuts tied to the Department of Government Efficiency, arguing that reductions to foreign aid programs may have had devastating consequences for vulnerable children around the world.
Speaking on the “I’ve Had It” podcast, the California Democrat said Musk should be subpoenaed and investigated if Democrats regain control of Congress. Khanna claimed that Musk may need to answer for millions of children who were allegedly put at risk by the dismantling of USAID programs through DOGE-related cuts.
The claim is politically explosive and should be treated carefully. Khanna did not present the figure as a court finding or official government determination. Rather, he used it as part of a broader argument that Musk and the Trump administration should face accountability for cuts to foreign assistance and humanitarian programs.
Musk, who has led or influenced DOGE’s cost-cutting efforts under President Donald Trump, has defended the push to shrink government spending as a necessary effort to reduce waste and bureaucracy. Trump allies have framed DOGE as a taxpayer-protection project aimed at eliminating inefficient programs.
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Critics see it very differently. They argue that rapid cuts to USAID disrupted lifesaving programs involving food aid, disease prevention, clean water, HIV treatment, malaria control and childhood nutrition. Public health researchers and aid groups have warned that sudden funding freezes or cancellations can have immediate consequences in countries that rely on U.S.-supported health infrastructure.
Khanna’s comments come as Musk faces renewed criticism from Democrats after becoming the world’s first trillionaire following SpaceX’s blockbuster public offering. For progressives, Musk’s wealth has become a symbol of a wider political argument: whether billionaires are gaining extraordinary fortunes while public programs for poor and vulnerable people are being cut.
That argument is also tied to Khanna’s broader tax agenda. He has backed the “Make Billionaires Pay Their Fair Share Act,” introduced with Sen. Bernie Sanders, which would impose a 5% annual wealth tax on Americans with net worth above $1 billion. Supporters say the proposal would raise trillions over a decade and help fund programs for working families. Opponents argue that wealth taxes are difficult to administer, could face constitutional challenges and may discourage investment.
The Musk-DOGE controversy sits at the center of several overlapping debates: foreign aid, executive power, billionaire influence and the role of private-sector figures in government decision-making. Democrats have repeatedly argued that Musk was given too much power over federal programs without enough transparency or oversight.
Republicans and Musk supporters counter that DOGE exposed waste and forced long-overdue discipline on federal agencies. They also argue that foreign aid should not be immune from cuts when the federal government is running large deficits and many Americans are struggling with costs at home.
The dispute is likely to intensify if Democrats win back either chamber of Congress. Khanna made clear that he wants hearings and subpoenas, not just campaign rhetoric. That could put Musk at the center of a high-profile oversight fight over what DOGE cut, who approved those decisions and what impact they had.
For now, the debate remains partly political and partly factual. The key unanswered question is how much harm can be directly tied to specific DOGE-related decisions, and whether Congress can document that through records, testimony and public health data.
Why It Matters
Khanna’s comments matter because they connect Musk’s government role to one of the most serious criticisms of the Trump administration’s spending cuts: that sudden reductions to USAID may have endangered lives overseas. The issue also raises larger questions about billionaire influence, congressional oversight and whether foreign aid cuts should face humanitarian-impact reviews.
What Comes Next
If Democrats regain control of the House or Senate, Musk could face subpoenas or hearings over DOGE’s role in USAID cuts. The debate may also strengthen progressive calls for a billionaire wealth tax, while Republicans are likely to defend DOGE as a necessary effort to reduce wasteful federal spending.
A podcast clip showed Rep. Ro Khanna arguing that Elon Musk should face accountability over DOGE-linked USAID cuts.
Ro Khanna: “There needs to be accountability for Elon Musk. They’re celebrating that he created 4,400 millionaires, but they don’t talk about the 4.5M children around the world who he possibly sentenced to death by dismantling USAID. He needs to answer for that. He needs to be… pic.twitter.com/5bAGCrzLhp
— Marco Foster (@MarcoFoster_) June 21, 2026
