On Monday, Chelsea Clinton used X to verify a widely circulated rumor that she and her family received a $84 million gift from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
“My family and I have long been the target of lies and conspiracies. However, the irate former First Daughter wrote, “I am especially disturbed by the ridiculous assertions that are still making the rounds on social media this week, fact checks be damned.”
USAID was entrusted with delivering humanitarian aid to more than 100 countries worldwide, but it is currently in a semi-dissolution state due to the efforts of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). In fiscal year 2023, the agency had approximately $40 billion in funds, according to the Congressional Research Service. Funding from the agency was used for initiatives that ranged from access to clean water to HIV/AIDS treatments.
Clinton, the daughter of Democratic former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former President Bill Clinton, received $84 million in taxpayer funds from USAID, according to a recent wave of right-wing online claims. According to some theories, the entire Clinton family was complicit in the plot.
On Monday, Chelsea Clinton used X to verify a widely circulated rumor that she and her family received a $84 million gift from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
“My family and I have long been the target of lies and conspiracies. However, the irate former First Daughter wrote, “I am especially disturbed by the ridiculous assertions that are still making the rounds on social media this week, fact checks be damned.”
USAID was entrusted with delivering humanitarian aid to more than 100 countries worldwide, but it is currently in a semi-dissolution state due to the efforts of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). In fiscal year 2023, the agency had approximately $40 billion in funds, according to the Congressional Research Service. Funding from the agency was used for initiatives that ranged from access to clean water to HIV/AIDS treatments.
Clinton, the daughter of Democratic former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former President Bill Clinton, received $84 million in taxpayer funds from USAID, according to a recent wave of right-wing online claims. According to some theories, the entire Clinton family was complicit in the plot.
In any case, Snopes, a fact-checking website, said the claims were untrue. The Clinton Health Access Initiative, which received $7.5 million from USAID in 2019 to support a range of health services in Zambia, Africa, is the only project connected to the Clinton family to receive any funding from the organization, according to USASpending.gov. Interestingly, Trump was in office when the funds were distributed.
According to tax records, Clinton receives no personal compensation for serving on the nonprofit’s board.
Following Musk’s amplification, the wave of accusations began on social media on February 5 and swiftly extended to right-wing commentators and media outlets, who echoed the widely circulated allegations.
“Oh boy, the DOGE people are finding all the goodies lurking in the Swamp,” one tweet from February 6 said, adding, “Now you see why Democrats don’t want @elonmusk to pull that sheet off? Everywhere there is corruption!
Another said, “What shady govt spending should we investigate next?” and was posted the day before.
