A video of Elon Musk admitting that his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) inadvertently canceled Ebola prevention programs has gone viral again as the Ebola outbreak intensifies in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The video, which originally surfaced in April last year, shows Musk addressing the cabinet of then-President Donald Trump and admitting to the misstep.
The Misstep
In the video, Musk acknowledges that his department's efforts to cut costs led to the accidental cancellation of crucial Ebola prevention programs. He says, "We will make mistakes. We won't be perfect, but when we do, we will correct it very quickly. For example, at USAID, one of the things we accidentally canceled, briefly, was Ebola prevention."
Musk, known for his leadership of Tesla, continued with a light-hearted tone: "I think we all want to prevent Ebola. So we immediately restored the Ebola prevention programs, and there was no gap."
Impact and Response
However, former officials from USAID told the Washington Post and NPR that the programs were not fully restored. This occurred as Musk was drastically cutting USAID, the U.S. agency for international development that provides millions of dollars in humanitarian aid worldwide. Musk decided to essentially shut down the agency, viewing it as unnecessary spending.
The video resurfaced recently as the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo an international public health emergency. According to recent data, over 513 suspected cases of the virus and 131 deaths have been reported in Congo. WHO representatives warned that the virus could spread faster than initially thought, potentially reaching over 1,000 cases.
Aside from slashing USAID, Trump also withdrew the U.S. from the WHO and reduced funding to the CDC, the leading U.S. public health agency.
The video has reignited debate over the decisions made by the Trump administration, particularly Musk's role in cutting essential health programs.
This is a massive oversight and the consequences are dire. How could Musk and the Trump administration be so reckless with global health? It's time to hold them accountable for their actions!