Elon Musk threatens to ‘sue’ Ro Khanna’s Indian heritage after linking DOGE cuts to ‘deaths of millions of children’ | Today’s news
The spat of words between businessman Elon Musk and Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna escalated after the lawmaker criticized cuts to US foreign aid programs under the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Musk responded strongly on social media, threatening Khanna with legal action and accusing him of spreading false information.
In response to a post about Khanna’s remarks, Musk wrote on X: “Time to sue this liar.
The controversy began after Khanna appeared on the ‘I’ve Had It’ podcast where he criticized DOGE’s role in cutting funding associated with the former US Agency for International Development (USAID).
Citing a 2025 study published in The Lancet, Khanna claimed that millions of people could die in low- and middle-income countries after cuts in international aid programs.
He said, “You know, they celebrate that he created 4,400 millionaires, but they don’t talk about the 4.5 million children around the world that he may have condemned to death by dismantling USAID.”
Khanna added: “He has to answer for this. He has to be summoned. He has to face an investigation. He has to answer for what he did with DOGE. It’s not just ‘let’s move on’.”
Musk defends DOGE’s actions
Musk denied the allegations and defended DOGE’s efforts to review aid spending.
In a post on X, he wrote: “The standard applied by DOGE was very simple and easy: Provide contact information for the aid recipient so we can confirm that this is not a scam.”
He continued: “The reality is that the money was sent to corrupt politicians under the guise of aid! Liars and stock traders like Ro the robber should be in jail!”
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In another post, Musk said: “Absolutely. This is a complete lie. All DOGE did was request contact with the aid recipients to confirm that the funds were used legitimately. Anything less than this is madness!”
The billionaire also pointed to a Justice Department case involving a former USAID official who pleaded guilty to corruption charges.
USAID, once the world’s largest foreign aid agency, was shut down during the second administration of President Donald Trump. Many of its remaining functions were later merged into the US State Department.
Critics of the move argued that the shutdown weakened global health and humanitarian programs. Studies and reports published after the shutdown suggested that aid cuts could contribute to higher deaths from infectious diseases, malnutrition and other preventable causes.
The researchers also noted that USAID-funded programs have played a significant role in the fight against diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis, malaria and polio over the past two decades.
Khanna invites Musk to a public debate
As the online argument intensified, Khanna urged Musk to discuss the issue publicly.
In an interview with CNBC, the congressman said: “Do it on CNN, do it on CNBC, do it on the university, he can choose the environment and let’s discuss what happened at DOGE, let’s discuss why I’m in favor of a wealth tax.”
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He added: “It’s not nice when the richest person in the world with the biggest platform on X says you should be in jail and he’s going to sue you and then I’m a liar.”
Khanna continued: “I’m going against the richest man in the world, but I hope he has a real debate about it.”
The clash reflects a broader political debate in the United States about wealth, taxes and government spending.
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Khanna has increasingly positioned himself as a critic of concentrated wealth and has called for greater accountability from powerful business leaders. He said he would continue to challenge wealthy individuals and large corporations despite representing one of the wealthiest congressional districts in the country.
“The most important moral test for the Democratic Party right now is, are you going to effectively fight the Trump administration and fight the oligarchy,” Khanna said.
