Atlantic Editor: Mike Lee Is a Monster for Not Caring About 1 Million Deaths Due to USAID Cuts

As Twitchy reported, Rep. Ro Khanna challenged Elon Musk to a debate after Musk decided it was time to sue Khanna for claiming that he murdered more than four million children due to USAID funding being cut. DOGE didn't cut anything — it only recommended cuts to the higher-ups in the administration, which determined that USAID was nothing but a slush fund for the Democrats.

Sen. Mike Lee was clear on his stance:

USAID must never make a comeback

— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) June 22, 2026

That post caught the attention of Atlantic contributing editor Norman Ornstein, who went with the more conservative estimate that USAID cuts had killed only just over a million people.

Over 1 million people have died, half of them children, because USAID was dismantled. You’re happy with that. You are a monster. https://t.co/FUoAwcKprX

— Norman Ornstein (@NormOrnstein) June 23, 2026

So, have four million children been killed, or half a million? It's almost as if they were making these numbers up.

This is false. The little funding that actually made to the people was minimal compared to the government pilfering. The legit spending was shifted to other departments where it’s still reaching the people we were told it was supposed to help. pic.twitter.com/G4TYLCC818

— uncommonsense (@uncommonsens3) June 23, 2026

Zero...a million...who can even tell them apart, really?

— Eric Spencer (@JustEric) June 23, 2026

It isn't the responsibility of U.S. taxpayers to feed, clothe, and house the entire world.

— Me (@Keefer1958) June 23, 2026

Billions of fraud uncovered that did nothing to help kids, only line the pockets of political allies, and this guy wants to blame the person who discovered the fraud. Where is your anger for the people who took that money and didn't help anyone but themselves?

— TweetyBurg (@nivratsmom) June 23, 2026

The only people who have suffered with the demise of the thoroughly corrupt USAID is politicians, tyrants, crooked NGOs, and deep state bureaucrats. If you're not happy with that you are delusional.

— Old Vet (@OldVetvp) June 23, 2026

Millions have died because of USAID - money being stolen by or given (directly or indirectly) to foreign governments that repress, impoverish or starve their people, to militias that cause civil wars, etc. The program with no safeguards to avoid this outcome killed people.

— Rachel Keuler (@rkeuler) June 23, 2026

You can’t name a single country that had an uptick in childhood mortality. Not one.

— Jak44 (@jakcodeowest) June 23, 2026

I’m happy that people like you are stroking out over the ending of USAID. Lets us know who was really benefiting from all that stolen money.

— Midwst Deplorable (@MidwstDeplorabl) June 23, 2026

That is absolute bullshit. What you're pissed about is that your party's slush fund has been shut down.

— Phantom II (@Phantom2Phlyer) June 23, 2026

Show me the bodies.

— XBradTC (@xbradtc) June 23, 2026

Prove it. Show the actual list of 1 million dead people directly caused by cutting USAID. Not models, not projections , real names and causes. I’ll wait.

— persianprincess1973 (@paitriotunleas1) June 23, 2026

The absurdity of people just making up numbers and posting this is definitely meant for those with the brain capacity that only a liberal would believe

— Jim Devine (@TheTubby2024) June 23, 2026

USAID was a leftist money laundering scam, that benefitted practically nobody; other than left aligned NGO’s, media outlets, and politicians. The only thing that “died” with USAIDs demise, was a decades long, US taxpayer funded gravy train for leftist scum.

— Don Marion (@dmirishman) June 23, 2026

Yesterday the number was 4.5 million....you dumb fucks have no idea what's actually going on. You're just desperately throwing lies around hoping someone believes your bullshit.

— Feral Florida Man (@hostilehonky32) June 23, 2026

None of these millions were American lives. How many millions of foreigners were completely dependent on taxpayer handouts from USAID to stay alive, and why haven't their or other governments done anything about it?

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