Khanna urges Musk probe over DOGE cuts impacting 4.5M

Rep. Ro Khanna called for Elon Musk to be investigated and subpoenaed after Democrats retake Congress, arguing Musk “possibly sentenced to death” 4.5 million children through DOGE cuts that Khanna says dismantled USAID. On the I’ve Had It podcast, Khanna and c

Rep. Ro Khanna didn’t wait for the next election cycle to make his demand. In an appearance on the I’ve Had It podcast on Saturday. the California Democrat said Elon Musk should be investigated as soon as Democrats regain control of Congress—arguing the Tesla and SpaceX executive “possibly sentenced to death” 4.5 million children through DOGE cuts.

Khanna framed his call as more than a rhetorical jab. “He needs to answer for that,” Khanna said. “He needs to be subpoenaed, he needs to face investigation, he needs to answer for what he did with DOGE. It’s not just ‘let’s move on.’”

The criticism landed with particular force in Khanna’s telling because he described a public mood that, in his view, is celebrating the wrong outcome. He said many people were applauding Musk after he made thousands of SpaceX employees millionaires when the rocket company went public.

But Khanna pivoted from the glamour of newly minted wealth to what he called the human cost of the government cuts. “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 said.

Co-host Jennifer Welch reacted with the kind of blunt condemnation that can shift a political argument from policy to moral stakes. Welch said she couldn’t agree more with Khanna and called it “disgusting” to see people celebrating Musk’s wealth while ignoring the government cuts she said he spearheaded while leading DOGE for President Donald Trump.

“If you are the party of pro-life like you say you are, MAGA, he’s killing millions of the poorest people on the planet,” Welch said. “So I think that hypocrisy there is really stunning.”

Welch’s anger also carried its own timeline in the episode. She referenced that her criticism of MAGA came a month after she had called it a “Nazi-style cult.”

Khanna’s remarks are likely to resonate beyond the podcast audience. in part because his district includes Fremont. where 20. 000 people work at the Tesla factory. For residents there. Musk’s business success and Washington’s budget decisions aren’t distant topics—they’re tied to jobs and local economic reality.

The exchange also arrives in a broader debate about Musk’s rise. Musk became the world’s first trillionaire following SpaceX’s IPO, a milestone that has drawn criticism from liberals and media pundits.

Former New York Times columnist Paul Krugman said only a “rigged system” could allow Musk to get so wealthy. Others discussed the milestone in harsher terms, with talkers on CNN and MS NOW lamenting that a “white supremacist” like Musk became the world’s first trillionaire.

Musk has denied those accusations in the past. He has said claims he is a white supremacist and antisemite are absurd, and he told CNBC a few years ago that he was “pro-semite, if anything.”

At the center of Khanna and Welch’s clash is a contradiction they want voters to feel plainly: celebrating a billionaire’s windfall while dismissing the consequences they say follow from the cuts they blame on DOGE. Khanna’s push for a post-election investigation and Welch’s emphasis on pro-life claims set up an escalation that’s as much about accountability and narrative control as it is about any single budget decision.

For now, the immediate political focus is clear. Khanna says Democrats must return to power before Musk is held to account through subpoenas and investigation—while Welch insists the moral argument can’t be postponed.

Ro Khanna Elon Musk DOGE USAID cuts I’ve Had It podcast SpaceX IPO Fremont Tesla factory Jennifer Welch accountability Democrats retake Congress Donald Trump