[skissane]

DOGE didn’t shut down USAID. Musk talked Trump and Rubio into doing it and they did.

Musk is essentially a presidential advisor, and legally an advisor can advise the President to do pretty much anything. Even if the thing they are advising the President to do is illegal, the President is the one who bears the legal responsibility for the action, not the advisor.

In really extreme cases, like if Musk were advising Trump to commit genocide, or carry out a military coup, or transfer a billion dollars out of US Treasury into someone’s personal bank account, and Trump followed the advice, Musk might be held legally liable for having given it. But shutting down a government agency isn’t anything like that. The legality of shutting it down is debatable, but even if ultimately held to be illegal, it isn’t the genocide or military coup or blatant corruption kind of illegal.

[zzzeek]

> Musk talked Trump and Rubio into doing and they did.

which is illegal. USAID can only be "shut down" by an act of Congress

[lupusreal]

> Trump and Rubio [...] did.

Might be illegal.

> Musk talked Trump and Rubio

Obviously isn't, no matter how many salutes he does or how many emeralds he owns.