Bush, Obama Join Forces To Criticize Closing Of USAID By Trump
Former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama joined Bono on Monday in a video appearance to address the employees of United States Agency for International Development (USAID) amid the agency’s shutdown following a federal investigation into alleged fraud and mismanagement. Obama, speaking in the video, called the dismantling of the agency “a travesty, and it’s a tragedy,” adding that “it’s some of the most important work happening anywhere in the world.” He described the decision as “a colossal mistake” and urged that “sooner or later, leaders on both sides of the aisle will realize how much you are needed.”
Bush focused his remarks on the legacy of USAID and the scale of its global impact. He highlighted programs created during his presidency, noting that USAID’s AIDS and HIV relief efforts are credited with saving 25 million lives. “You’ve showed the great strength of America through your work—and that is your good heart,” Bush told the staff. “Is it in our national interests that 25 million people who would have died now live? I think it is, and so do you.”
The video conference took place during a critical juncture for the agency. USAID, founded during the Kennedy administration to administer U.S. foreign economic and development aid, was reportedly absorbed into the U.S. Department of State following a probe into “waste, fraud and abuse.” According to reports, the newly-created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) spearheaded steps to terminate programs and restructure operations. Media were not present at the staff event, but segments of the gathering were reviewed by news outlets.
Bono read a poem he had written to mark the moment and voiced concern that the closure would lead to large-scale suffering, saying, “They called you crooks. When you were the best of us.” The imagery of three high-profile figures joining in solidarity with USAID employees underscored the magnitude of the disruption—not only to the agency’s workforce, but also to the United States’ role in global development.
With contractors placed on administrative leave, key aid programs cancelled, and the agency being folded into the State Department, the conversation shifted from U.S. foreign aid operations to broader questions about oversight, national interests and the future of America’s global development footprint.