Bush, Obama Join Forces To Criticize Closing Of USAID By Trump
Former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama joined U2 frontman Bono on Monday to address the sudden closure of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), offering words of encouragement to staff members and pointed criticism of the move. The agency, founded in 1961 under President John F. Kennedy to administer foreign aid and development assistance, was officially dissolved after a federal investigation revealed widespread mismanagement and fraud.
Appearing via videoconference, Obama called the agency’s termination “a travesty” and “a tragedy.” He praised the organization’s humanitarian mission, telling employees that their work represented “some of the most important work happening anywhere in the world.” Expressing concern about the long-term impact, Obama added, “Sooner or later, leaders on both sides of the aisle will realize how much you are needed.”
Bush, typically restrained in his public comments about successors, described the closure as the end of a defining part of his presidency—the global AIDS and HIV relief program credited with saving over 25 million lives. “You’ve showed the great strength of America through your work—and that is your good heart,” Bush told the assembled 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 shutdown followed an extensive investigation by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a new federal body launched by President Donald Trump and led by Elon Musk. DOGE cited corruption, waste, and ideological bias within USAID, calling the agency “a viper’s nest of radical-left Marxists who hate America.” Following the decision, the State Department absorbed USAID’s remaining programs and personnel.
The announcement marks the end of a six-decade institution that played a central role in U.S. global development, operating in over 100 countries. Yet, as Bush, Obama, and Bono reminded employees, its mission—to deliver humanitarian aid and promote stability—remains a vital reflection of America’s global leadership.