Thursday 05 February 2026 13:22 GMT Bookmark Support Now From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it. Your support makes all the difference. Read more Elon Musk, leader of the Trump administration's now-disbanded Department of Government Efficiency, must sit for depositions along with senior State Department officials over their role in dismantling the U.S. Agency for International Development, a federal judge ruled Tuesday. Pointing to findings that Musk had made the decision to break up USAID – one of the world's largest humanitarian programs – despite lacking formal authority or official approval – District Judge Theodore Chuang wrote that there was "no alternative" than for Musk and other officials to provide testimony regarding their decision-making process. The ruling represents a win for a group of anonymous former USAID employees who are suing Musk, DOGE and State Department officials over the closure. The depositions mean Musk must give sworn oral testimony over his role in the USAID's destruction. Following Donald Trump's 2024 election victory, he appointed Musk to lead DOGE, with a brief to advise on gutting federal departments and firing staff deemed a “massive waste.” At the time, Trump vowed that Musk, along with venture capitalist Vivek Ramaswamy, would "pave the way for my administration to dismantle government bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure federal agencies.” This resulted in the rapid closure of USAID, a 63-year-old institution credited with saving 91 million lives, including 30 million children, in just the past two decades. DOGE’s closure of USAID could cause more than 14 million additional deaths by 2030, experts have warned (AFP/Getty)