Bush, Obama Join Forces To Criticize Closing Of USAID By Trump
Former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, along with U2 frontman Bono, convened on Monday to offer support to USAID employees and to deliver some final criticisms of President Donald Trump following the agency’s closure due to fraud and mismanagement.
“The dismantling of USAID is a disgrace, and it is a tragedy,” Obama stated in a video message directed at the departing staff, as reported by The New York Post. “This work represents some of the most vital efforts taking place globally.”
He described the decision as “a monumental error” and remarked, “Eventually, leaders from both political parties will come to understand how essential your contributions are.”
Bush, Obama, and Bono participated via videoconference to address USAID personnel as the agency was officially closed after a federal investigation into corruption and misconduct. Although media representatives were not present, excerpts from the event were analyzed by the Associated Press.
USAID, established during the Kennedy administration, was designed to deliver foreign economic assistance. However, earlier this year, it became one of the initial targets of the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, which was created by President Trump to eliminate government waste. The then-head of DOGE, Elon Musk, criticized the agency as “a viper’s nest of radical-left Marxists who despise America.”
On Tuesday, USAID was officially integrated into the State Department.
In an unusual public criticism, Bush, who has generally refrained from denouncing Trump, indicated that the closure marks the end of a significant aspect of his presidency—the AIDS and HIV relief initiative, which is credited with saving 25 million lives worldwide.
“You have demonstrated the tremendous strength of America through your efforts—and that is your compassionate spirit,” Bush expressed to the staff. “Is it in our national interest that 25 million individuals who would have perished are now alive? I believe it is, and so do you.”
Bono recited a poem he composed to commemorate the conclusion of the agency, asserting that it would result in extensive suffering.
“They labeled you as crooks. When in reality, you were the finest among us,” he remarked.
According to the Associated Press, Bono and Obama expressed deep emotions in their statements, while Bush remained concentrated on his legacy. Fox News Digital attempted to contact the offices of both former presidents but did not receive any replies.
Bono has previously asserted that the reduction of USAID would result in hundreds of thousands of fatalities. In 2016, he criticized Trump as “potentially the worst idea that ever occurred in America.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who acted as USAID’s administrator during its final weeks, declared that the State Department would assume all foreign aid responsibilities going forward.
“Aside from establishing a global NGO industrial complex at the expense of taxpayers, USAID has little to demonstrate since the conclusion of the Cold War,” Rubio stated in his announcement.
“Development goals have seldom been achieved, instability has frequently escalated, and anti-American sentiment has only intensified.”
“This period of government-sanctioned inefficiency has officially concluded,” he continued. “Under the Trump Administration, we will finally establish a foreign funding mission in America that prioritizes our national interests.”
He indicated that starting July 1, USAID “will officially stop implementing foreign assistance.”
“Foreign assistance initiatives that align with administration policies—and which promote American interests—will be managed by the State Department, where they will be executed with greater accountability, strategy, and efficiency.”
The closure of USAID follows DOGE’s initiative in early 2025 to eliminate federal waste. Trump has consistently praised DOGE, including during a March address to Congress where he highlighted $22 billion in identified waste, which included significant expenditures at USAID.
“Forty-five million dollars allocated for scholarships focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion in Burma,” Trump stated, providing examples. “Forty million designated to enhance the social and economic inclusion of sedentary migrants. The meaning of this is unclear.
“Eight million aimed at promoting LGBTQI+ rights in the African country of Lesotho, a place that is largely unknown. Sixty million dollars set aside for the empowerment of indigenous peoples and Afro-Colombians in Central America. Sixty million. Additionally, eight million for initiatives to make mice transgender,” he continued.