"We spent the weekend feeding USAID into the wood chipper."Caveat EmperorAfter forcing out a top official at the US Treasury Department, it now appears that Elon Musk has seized control of the government's payment system with apparent free rein to do what he wants.Over the weekend, Musk declared that he and his lackeys at DOGE the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, which is not a departmentdespite its name would cut off government payments to specific organizations Musk doesn't like.Chief among those targets is USAID, an independent government agency that provides foreign aid. In a flurry of social media posts, Musk denounced USAID as a "criminal organization," and a "viper's nest of radical-left marxists who hate America." So it had to go.DOGE staffers have now accessed USAID's security systems and other classified files, , after top officials who refused DOGE's demands were placed on leave."We spent the weekend feeding USAID into the wood chipper," Musk tweeted Monday morning.X Marks the SpotMusk began his quest of ruthless cost-cutting by shaking up the Treasury Department last week. His lieutenants at DOGE hounded a top Treasury official for access to its sensitive payment system, which distributes trillions of dollars every year, including Social Security benefits and federal salaries. The system has traditionally only been accessed by a select few senior officials.After refusing DOGE's demands for months, that official, David Lebryk, abruptly announced his retirement. (The New York Times reported that Lebryk was placed on leave after refusing, almost certainly precipitating his decision to end his decades-long career at the agency.)Following the standoff, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent acceded to DOGE's demands and granted it access to the federal payment system.Musk immediately fired off blockbuster claims without evidence to show that his fake department was making progress. "The DOGE team discovered, among other things, that payment approval officers at Treasury were instructed always to approve payments, even to known fraudulent or terrorist groups," Musk tweeted. "They literally never denied a payment in their entire career. Not even once."Eye of a NeedleAccording , no government payments have actually been blocked yet, because Musk doesn't possess the operational capabilities to do so. Though we emphasize: not yet. The Treasury payment system was one considered off-limits, too.In any case, Musk has vociferously signaled his intent to turn off the money hose beyond just the USAID. As , the world's richest man declared that DOGE would cut off grants to Lutheran Family Services, a Christian non-profit that provides social services and relief to refugees."The DOGE team is rapidly shutting down these illegal payments," tweeted Musk, who not too long ago openly embraced the teachings of Christ.More on Trump administration: Trump Broke the Federal Email System and Government Employees Got Blasted With Astonishingly Vulgar MessagesShare This Article