Tensions over the fallout from federal spending cuts are spilling into a public political and business clash between Representative Ro Khanna and Elon Musk. The dispute centers on Musk’s role in the Department of Government Efficiency initiative and on Khanna’s push for a public debate over USAID cuts and a wealth tax.
Highlights
- Ro Khanna challenged Elon Musk to a televised debate on DOGE budget cuts and a wealth tax, proposing CNN, CNBC, or a university setting.
- Elon Musk publicly called Khanna a liar on X, suggested suing or jailing him after Khanna cited The Lancet study linking USAID cuts to over 4.5 million child deaths.
- Musk defended DOGE measures by claiming they aimed to prevent fraud by verifying aid recipients’ information and accused prior aid systems of funding corrupt politicians.
Challenge follows escalating DOGE dispute
As reported by CNBC, Khanna said Monday he is challenging Musk to a televised debate on the consequences of cuts made during Musk’s time leading the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. In an interview, Khanna said the event could be held on CNN, CNBC or at a university, adding that Musk could choose the setting for a discussion about DOGE and Khanna’s support for a wealth tax.The confrontation follows an exchange earlier Monday on X, the social media platform owned by Musk, where Musk said Khanna should be sued or even jailed. Khanna said it is not pleasant to have the world’s richest person publicly call for prison and accuse him of lying, but added that he wants an actual debate on the issues.
The online fight began after Musk objected to Khanna’s reference to a study published in The Lancet that said cuts to USAID could cause more than 4.5 million child deaths. On a podcast Saturday, Khanna said Musk needs to answer for children around the world who he said were possibly sentenced to death by the dismantling of USAID.
Musk, responding to a New York Post write-up of those comments, called Khanna a liar and said it was time to sue him. In a later post, Musk said DOGE applied a simple standard by asking for contact information for aid recipients to verify that funds were not fraudulent, and argued that money was being sent to corrupt politicians under the guise of aid.
Our earlier coverage of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act explained how lawmakers advanced a bipartisan package aimed at easing the U.S. affordable-housing shortage by boosting supply and targeting affordability pressures. We noted provisions to cap large investment firms at 350 single-family homes, streamline certain building and environmental review processes, and expand access to small-dollar mortgages for first-time buyers.
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