Featured Image Credit: Bloomberg / Contributor / Getty
It feels like eons ago that Elon Musk headed up the Department of Government Efficiency for the current administration, and considering he led it into the trenches for just four months, it's easy to forget the world's richest man (briefly) held the position.
There was controversy as soon as President Donald Trump announced that Elon Musk would lead the government's cost-cutting organization, and founded to trim the fat, DOGE claimed to have saved some $215 billion.
This number has been greatly disputed, while a slew of cuts effectively shuttered the U.S. Agency for International Development and United States Digital Service, alongside agencies like the Department of Education and Social Security Administration being hollowed out.
In the aftermath, the Trump administration has been subject to over 200 lawsuits, with many relating to DOGE's gutting of USAID, and others concerning security concerns about staffers being given access to computer systems and records across the government.
Advert
Back in 2025, US District Judge Theodore Chuang argued that Musk violated the U.S. Constitution in his attempts to dismantle USAID, and now, it's back to bite him in the backside once again.
Potential 2028 presidential hopeful Rep. Ro Khanna has challenged Musk over the cuts he made while with DOGE.
Khanna pointed to a recent study that was published in The Lancet and claimed that USAID's cuts could be responsible for the death of 4.5 million young people around the world.
Speaking on the "I've Had It" podcast, Khanna mused: "I do believe that once we take power, there has to be accountability. There needs to be accountability for Elon Musk.
“You know, they're celebrating that he created 4,400 millionaires, but they don't talk about the 4.5 million children around the world who he possibly sentenced to death by dismantling USAID."
Saying the trillionaire needs to be subpoenaed and face an investigation, Khanna threw down the gauntlet, which didn't go unnoticed by Musk himself.
Time to sue this liar
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 22, 2026
When The New York Post shared Khanna's comments, Musk quickly took to X to issue a five-word rebuttal of his own. Although Khanna was careful with his wording to say that Musk 'possibly' sentenced those kids to death, the latter wrote: "Time to sue this liar."
In a follow-up post, a clearly vexed Musk added: "The standard applied by DOGE was very simple and easy: Provide contact information for the recipients of aid, so that we can confirm it is not fraudulent.
"The reality is that money was being sent to corrupt politicians under the guise of aid! Liars and stock insider traders like Ro the Robber should be in prison!!”
It doesn't sound like Khanna is too worried about Musk's using his considerable wealth to threaten legal action.
Speaking to CNBC, Khanna has challenged Mr. Musk to a debate on the issues above, telling the outlet: "I challenge him to a debate...do it on CNN, do it on CNBC, do it at a university, he can pick the setting and let’s debate what happened at DOGE, let’s debate why I’m for a wealth tax.
"We can have a conversation of ideas if he believes in free speech and free expression about these issues."
Khanna went on to say: "It’s not pleasant to have the world’s richest person with the biggest platform on X go say you should be in prison and that he’s going to sue you, and then I’m a liar. I’m taking on the richest person in the world, but I mean, I would hope that he would have an actual debate about it."
Having previously butted heads with some over a successful bid to get the Epstein files released, Khanna concluded that the Democratic Party's biggest challenge now is how you've fought the Trump administration and the oligarchy: "With my work on the Epstein files, and now calling out Musk, I have taken on those fights."
