Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., on Thursday dismissed threats of legal action from SpaceX founder Elon Musk, stating he would not be silenced or intimidated.
"This is what he does," Khanna told Fox News Digital outside the U.S. Capitol. "It’s symptomatic of our times that billionaires — and now [a] trillionaire — can threaten to sue members of Congress for doing their job. He won’t intimidate me. I’m not going to be intimidated by the guy. I’m not going to be silenced by the guy."
Khanna's remarks follow an online exchange between the two regarding cuts to overseas government aid programs, which Khanna linked to potential fatalities. Khanna had been critical of Musk's role in reducing the budget of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
"There needs to be accountability for Elon Musk. You know, they’re celebrating that he created 4,400 millionaires, but they don’t talk about the 4.5 million children around the world who he possibly sentenced to death by dismantling USAID," Khanna stated on a recent podcast, citing a study from The Lancet Group.
Musk, who personally oversaw efforts to reduce perceived waste and fraud in U.S. programs, responded on X, formerly Twitter, by calling Khanna a "liar" and stating "Robber Khanna should be in prison."
Musk, aligning with some conservative viewpoints critical of government spending, had previously questioned USAID's allocation of millions of dollars. Critics of the cuts, however, argued that Musk's efforts did not distinguish between wasteful spending and essential life-saving initiatives.
According to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, USAID had reduced approximately 83% of its programs by March of the previous year. The potential damages Musk might seek in a lawsuit against Khanna remain unclear.
When questioned about the possibility of Musk pursuing legal action, Khanna expressed confidence in his position. "Grok says he doesn’t have a case, so we will have to see," Khanna said, referencing Musk's AI chatbot.