A crusade to paint USAID as a malevolent force had developed in relatively fringe internet circles, only to be suddenly elevated and acted upon by Elon Musk.

The agency has long been a target of criticism that its aid programs masked nation-meddling and overspent American tax dollars abroad. Some conspiracy theories alleged that the programs were a cover for biowarfare research or that its funding enriched an elite few who control the world. But until very recently, those claims were largely outside the mainstream and USAID generally enjoyed bipartisan support in Washington.

That is no longer the case.