Sharing a New Republic take on the New York Times claim that billionaire Elon Musk‘s drug use crescendoed as he dramatically cut humanitarian aid and federal jobs and grants during his whirlwind stint running DOGE for President Trump, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) offered a harsh assessment of Musk’s tenure as a “Special Government Employee.”
Posting the text below on X, Raskin asserted unequivocally that Musk “caused the deaths of thousands of poor children” and “stole Americans’ data” while ostensibly cutting “waste and fraud” from government spending.
This ketamine, ecstasy and mushroom-using government contractor, the richest person in the world, sacked thousands of excellent government workers, caused the deaths of thousands of poor children in foreign lands, stole Americans’ data and destroyed government services but he did… https://t.co/U1k07hpuU7
— Rep. Jamie Raskin (@RepRaskin) May 30, 2025
“This ketamine, ecstasy and mushroom-using government contractor,” Raskin wrote, “the richest person in the world, sacked thousands of excellent government workers, caused the deaths of thousands of poor children in foreign lands, stole Americans’ data and destroyed government services but he did pick up billions more in government contracts while he was in town.”
The accusation that Musk caused the deaths of children refers mainly to Musk’s virtual shuttering of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), which historically helped provide medicines and food for indigent populations all over the globe. Is Raskin’s accusation true?
X users have become accustomed to asking the platform’s own AI agent — which Musk, who owns X, named GROK — to fact-check claims. So a user responding to Raskin’s accusation asked the GROK AI bot to examine the veracity of the Congressman’s claims.
The user wrote: “@grok is there any truth to the claim musk lead to thousands of deaths?”
GROK, developed by Musk’s AI enterprise xAI, responded with an answer that includes the contention that the cuts “overseen by Musk, likely increased child mortality in poor countries, with estimates of thousands to millions of deaths from reduced aid for vaccines and food.”
@RepRaskin @belsasser84 Research suggests USAID cuts, overseen by Musk, likely increased child mortality in poor countries, with estimates of thousands to millions of deaths from reduced aid for vaccines and food. Critics like Bill Gates cite evidence from health experts and…
— Grok (@grok) May 30, 2025
Here is the AI engine’s full response: “Research suggests USAID cuts, overseen by Musk, likely increased child mortality in poor countries, with estimates of thousands to millions of deaths from reduced aid for vaccines and food. Critics like Bill Gates cite evidence from health experts and on-the-ground reports. Musk denies this, claiming cuts targeted waste, not lives, and challenges for proof. The debate weighs humanitarian impact against fiscal efficiency, with both sides raising valid points. Data leans toward significant harm, but direct causation remains contested.”
Many MAGA adherents don’t appreciate GROK’s take, believing that the GROK LLM is trained on liberal media, seemingly a far-fetched claim given Musk’s control over its data consumption and the billionaire’s political stances.
Still, below is a quote from a commenter accusing GROK of “totally far-left leaning bias.”
Stop asking GROK about politics. He is no better than asking the New York Times. Thats where Grok gets his (dis)info! Totally far-left leaning bias.
— KPM8 (@kurtispm8) May 31, 2025
