None of those reasons above are real. THere are two reasons why Musk did it:
1) Moscow and Beijing requested him to.
2) USAID OIG was investigating Musk's abuse of Starlink services for Ukraine in 2022 paid by US and other governments.
That's why Musk-Moscow propaganda spreading various lies about USAID. Here is 3 examples out of 20 examples:
Lie 1: “USAID deployed nearly half a million dollars to expand atheism in Nepal to take it further away from Hinduism”
Verification:
- There is no evidence or official documentation to suggest that USAID has ever funded programs specifically aimed at promoting atheism in Nepal or distancing the country from Hinduism.
- Nepal is a secular state with a majority Hindu population, but there is no record of USAID targeting religion as part of its programming in the country.
Lie 2. “USAID started promoting LGBTQ agenda in 2023 in Nepal to destroy its culture”
Verification:
USAID does support global initiatives to promote human rights, including LGBTQ+ rights, as part of its broader commitment to equality and inclusion. However, this is not unique to Nepal, nor is it an effort to “destroy culture” anywhere.
In Nepal, LGBTQ+ rights have been gaining recognition over the past decade. For example, Nepal’s Supreme Court ruled in favour of LGBTQ+ rights in December 2007 (see Pant v. Nepal), recognizing gender identity and same-sex relationships compared to other South Asian nations.
Any USAID programs related to LGBTQ+ issues in Nepal would likely focus on supporting local organizations working to advance human rights, combat discrimination, and promote inclusivity—consistent with international norms and Nepal’s own legal framework.
Conclusions:
The claim that USAID is promoting an LGBTQ agenda to "destroy Nepal's culture" is misleading and politically charged. While USAID may support LGBTQ+ rights as part of its global mandate, this is not tantamount to cultural destruction.
This claim is false and appears to be based on misinformation or conspiracy theories. Sources of such false claims come from:
Political actors in Nepal exploit these claims to gain support from religious or conservative constituencies. By portraying USAID or other foreign entities as threats to Nepalese culture or religion, they can position themselves as defenders of national identity.
External influence campaigns: China, Russia, several regional powers spread disinformation to discredit Western organizations like USAID and gain control over narratives:
China’s influence in Nepal: As China expands its influence in South Asia, it has sometimes portrayed Western aid programs as tools of cultural imperialism to weaken their appeal.
Moscow’s disinformation: Russia has a history of spreading narratives that frame Western humanitarian efforts as destabilizing forces, particularly in regions where it seeks to expand its influence.
Lie 3. $7.9 M to teach Sri Lankan journalists how to avoid “binary-gendered language”
Facts:
This project was indeed funded by USAID – see public data on usaspending.gov (FAIN AID383A1700001) and USAID webpage archives. Unfortunately, E. Musk took down their website to destroy transparency.
The White House and Musk-related sources have criticized it as an example of wasteful spending since February 2025, although the program started on Aug 15, 2017 (first year of Trump in Office) and ended on Oct 14, 2023.
The Media Empowerment for a Democratic Sri Lanka (MEND) program was launched in August 2017 by Trump’s admin to April 2023 . This 6-year initiative aimed to was to enhance citizens' access to balanced, reliable, and objective news across Sri Lanka, i.e. increasing media literacy among their citizens. It was a collaborative effort between the USAID and the International Research & Exchanges Board (IREX).
None of those reasons above are real. THere are two reasons why Musk did it:
1) Moscow and Beijing requested him to.
2) USAID OIG was investigating Musk's abuse of Starlink services for Ukraine in 2022 paid by US and other governments.
That's why Musk-Moscow propaganda spreading various lies about USAID. Here is 3 examples out of 20 examples:
Lie 1: “USAID deployed nearly half a million dollars to expand atheism in Nepal to take it further away from Hinduism”
Verification:
- There is no evidence or official documentation to suggest that USAID has ever funded programs specifically aimed at promoting atheism in Nepal or distancing the country from Hinduism.
- Nepal is a secular state with a majority Hindu population, but there is no record of USAID targeting religion as part of its programming in the country.
Lie 2. “USAID started promoting LGBTQ agenda in 2023 in Nepal to destroy its culture”
Verification:
USAID does support global initiatives to promote human rights, including LGBTQ+ rights, as part of its broader commitment to equality and inclusion. However, this is not unique to Nepal, nor is it an effort to “destroy culture” anywhere.
In Nepal, LGBTQ+ rights have been gaining recognition over the past decade. For example, Nepal’s Supreme Court ruled in favour of LGBTQ+ rights in December 2007 (see Pant v. Nepal), recognizing gender identity and same-sex relationships compared to other South Asian nations.
Any USAID programs related to LGBTQ+ issues in Nepal would likely focus on supporting local organizations working to advance human rights, combat discrimination, and promote inclusivity—consistent with international norms and Nepal’s own legal framework.
Conclusions:
The claim that USAID is promoting an LGBTQ agenda to "destroy Nepal's culture" is misleading and politically charged. While USAID may support LGBTQ+ rights as part of its global mandate, this is not tantamount to cultural destruction.
This claim is false and appears to be based on misinformation or conspiracy theories. Sources of such false claims come from:
Political actors in Nepal exploit these claims to gain support from religious or conservative constituencies. By portraying USAID or other foreign entities as threats to Nepalese culture or religion, they can position themselves as defenders of national identity.
External influence campaigns: China, Russia, several regional powers spread disinformation to discredit Western organizations like USAID and gain control over narratives:
China’s influence in Nepal: As China expands its influence in South Asia, it has sometimes portrayed Western aid programs as tools of cultural imperialism to weaken their appeal.
Moscow’s disinformation: Russia has a history of spreading narratives that frame Western humanitarian efforts as destabilizing forces, particularly in regions where it seeks to expand its influence.
Lie 3. $7.9 M to teach Sri Lankan journalists how to avoid “binary-gendered language”
Facts:
This project was indeed funded by USAID – see public data on usaspending.gov (FAIN AID383A1700001) and USAID webpage archives. Unfortunately, E. Musk took down their website to destroy transparency.
The White House and Musk-related sources have criticized it as an example of wasteful spending since February 2025, although the program started on Aug 15, 2017 (first year of Trump in Office) and ended on Oct 14, 2023.
The Media Empowerment for a Democratic Sri Lanka (MEND) program was launched in August 2017 by Trump’s admin to April 2023 . This 6-year initiative aimed to was to enhance citizens' access to balanced, reliable, and objective news across Sri Lanka, i.e. increasing media literacy among their citizens. It was a collaborative effort between the USAID and the International Research & Exchanges Board (IREX).