Wiles recalls having a direct conversation with Musk. “You can’t just lock people out of their offices,” she told him. At first, Wiles didn’t fully understand how cutting USAID programs would impact humanitarian aid. “I didn’t know a lot about the extent of their grant-making.” But as immunizations were put on hold in Africa, the stakes became clear. She began receiving urgent calls from heads of relief agencies and former government officials with a critical warning: thousands of lives were at risk.
Wiles shared, “So Marco is on his way to Panama. We call him and say, ‘You’re Senate-confirmed. You’re going to have to be the custodian, essentially, of [USAID].’ ‘Okay,’ he says.” Despite this, Musk pressed on with his plans—full speed ahead. “Elon’s perspective is that you have to get things done quickly. If you’re into taking small steps, you’re never going to get your rocket to the moon,” Wiles explained. “With that mindset, you’re bound to break a few things. But no sensible person could argue that the USAID process was effective. Nobody.”
