Obama and Bush Criticize Trump’s USAID Dismantling in Farewell \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ Former Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush, alongside Bono, delivered emotional remarks in a farewell video to USAID staff as the agency is merged into the State Department under President Trump and Secretary Rubio. Obama called dismantling USAID “a colossal mistake,” while Bush lamented cuts to popular HIV/AIDS programs. Bono closed with a moving poem, and personal stories underscored the global impact of the agency’s humanitarian work.
Quick Looks
- Obama, Bush, Bono speak in tearful video to USAID staff
- Obama condemns dismantling, praising legacy of fostering prosperity
- Bush defends PEPFAR’s impact and criticizes cuts to HIV/AIDS funding
- Bono recites poem, decrying staff as “secret agents of development”
- Staffers impacted by abrupt lockouts and mass layoffs
- State Department plans new “America First” assistance framework
- Stories shared highlight lifesaving work in Liberia, Gaza, Syria, Sudan
Deep Look
In an unprecedented show of bipartisan concern, former Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush, joined by global humanitarian icon Bono, delivered an emotional farewell to the staff of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) on Monday, condemning the agency’s dismantling by the Trump administration. After more than 60 years of global service, USAID was formally absorbed into the State Department following an executive directive from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a move seen by critics as the end of an era in American foreign aid diplomacy.
The decision marked a dramatic departure from the vision established by President John F. Kennedy, who created USAID in 1961 as a peaceful, non-military mechanism to promote U.S. national security and global prosperity. Now, with USAID folded into a newly branded foreign aid platform called “America First,” led by Trump’s administration, critics argue that both the mission and moral authority of American global assistance have been severely compromised.
Obama: A Global Loss for American Leadership
Barack Obama, who has largely stayed silent on Trump’s second-term policy shifts, made one of his most forceful public statements yet, calling the move “a colossal mistake.” In his recorded remarks, Obama praised USAID staffers for their devotion to humanitarian service, noting their impact on global health, democracy, food security, and economic growth.
“Your work has mattered and will matter for generations to come,” he told the thousands of USAID employees, many of whom watched from overseas outposts. Obama expressed sorrow and disappointment over Trump’s characterization of the agency as a haven of fraud and radicalism. “Gutting USAID is a travesty and a tragedy,” he said, emphasizing that the agency had helped turn aid-dependent nations into economic partners for the U.S.
Bush Defends His AIDS Legacy
George W. Bush, known for launching the globally celebrated PEPFAR (President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) program during his presidency, criticized the Trump administration’s cuts to that very program. With emotion in his voice, Bush defended the investment that saved 25 million lives globally, saying, “Is it in our national interest that 25 million people who would have died now live? I think it is, and so do you.”
Despite bipartisan efforts in Congress to shield PEPFAR from total elimination, budget cuts and bureaucratic reshuffling have drastically reduced the reach of the program under Trump’s leadership. Bush’s address underscored the humanitarian and strategic cost of sidelining such initiatives, especially amid ongoing global health crises.
Bono: “They Called You Crooks, But You Were the Best of Us”
Music legend and humanitarian Bono, a long-time advocate for African development and global health, was the surprise guest in the videoconference. Wearing his trademark sunglasses and a cap, he affectionately dubbed USAID staff “secret agents of international development.” He recited a poem he had written specifically for the occasion, calling attention to the real human cost of the U.S. withdrawing from global aid responsibilities.
“They called you crooks. When you were the best of us,” Bono said, referencing public attacks by Elon Musk, a key Trump ally, who had previously labeled the agency a “criminal organization.” His poem described starving children and collapsing health systems, emblematic of the likely consequences of U.S. withdrawal from funding lifesaving aid programs.
Global Leaders Join in Mourning
The farewell included reflections from former Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, former Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, and former U.S. Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield. Their presence reinforced USAID’s deep-rooted global influence. One particularly moving moment came when a humanitarian worker shared a childhood memory of USAID staff arriving with food to a refugee camp in Liberia, calling it a moment of hope during a time of despair.
A World Food Program official, overwhelmed with emotion, vowed through tears that the U.S. humanitarian mission would one day be restored. The video, initially closed to the press, was later shared in excerpts with the Associated Press and other outlets.
“America First” Replaces USAID
In a statement, the State Department defended the reorganization, announcing the launch of a new foreign aid framework called “America First.” It promises to apply tighter fiscal oversight and align all international assistance directly with U.S. national interests. “Every tax dollar spent will help advance our national interests,” said the department.
However, critics argue that this approach strips foreign aid of its humanitarian and soft-power dimensions. The move has been widely perceived as transactional, reducing aid to a strategic weapon rather than a tool of global goodwill.
Sudden Job Losses and Institutional Lockout
Many USAID staffers, including longtime civil servants and overseas field workers, learned of the agency’s dissolution through a mass email. Some were locked out of agency systems with no notice. Offices closed, projects paused, and partnerships severed within hours. Analysts estimate that tens of thousands of lives may be lost due to halted funding for food, medicine, and water systems in conflict zones like Gaza, Sudan, and Syria.
The timing—on the eve of Independence Day—added emotional weight to the already fraught transition. Staff members described a mix of sorrow, rage, and disbelief.
A Legacy Under Siege
For decades, USAID had been America’s quiet engine for building influence through development. From funding the Green Revolution, which helped modernize agriculture and prevent famine, to helping countries develop governance structures and access clean water, its work has had enduring global consequences.
Now, with its dissolution, a bipartisan group of leaders warns that the U.S. is abandoning not just a legacy but a proven tool of diplomacy. “Sooner or later,” Obama said, “leaders on both sides of the aisle will realize how much you are needed.”
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