Former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama joined musician Bono on Monday to console employees of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and to publicly criticize President Donald Trump after the agency was shut down due to alleged fraud and mismanagement.
Obama called the move “a travesty” and “a tragedy” and said USAID’s work was among the most important in the world. He described its closure as “a colossal mistake” and said leaders from both parties would eventually realize how essential the agency is. Bush, usually more restrained in his criticism of Trump, said the shutdown ends a key part of his own legacy: the global AIDS and HIV relief initiative credited with saving 25 million lives.
The three appeared via video call to speak to USAID staff on the same day the agency’s functions were officially absorbed by the United States Department of State. Media were not present, but clips were reviewed by the Associated Press. USAID, founded during the Kennedy era to provide U.S. foreign economic aid, now ends a six-decade run. According to the State Department and news reports, approximately 83 % of its programmes were cancelled in recent months, and the remaining work will now be run by the State Department instead of an independent agency.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that future U.S. foreign-aid will be limited to programmes that align with American national interests and will offer more “accountability, strategy and efficiency”.
A study published in The Lancet estimates the closure could lead to more than 14 million additional deaths by 2030 — including millions of children under five — if assistance is not replaced or restructured.