Former Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush issued rare public criticisms of the Trump administration during an emotional farewell to staffers of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) on Monday, the agency’s final day as an independent entity.
Singer and activist Bono also joined the video conference, choking up while reciting a poem. Obama called the Trump administration’s dismantling of USAID “a colossal mistake.” Bush addressed cuts to his administration’s global AIDS program, which he said helped save 25 million lives, asking, “Is it in our national interests that 25 million people who would have died now live? I think it is, and so do you.”
USAID, created by President John F. Kennedy in 1961, aimed to promote global stability and goodwill through humanitarian aid. But recent corruption scandals, including convictions for bribery and fraud, triggered its closure. The Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency uncovered widespread misconduct, and the Justice Department recently convicted two individuals for embezzling millions.
On Monday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered USAID to be absorbed into the State Department. The new agency replacing it will be called America First, officials confirmed.
The farewell event, described as closed-press, was later partially shared with the Associated Press. Thousands of current and former USAID workers attended virtually. Many had already lost their jobs, some locked out of systems and notified via mass emails. Trump called USAID “a corrupt organization run by radical left lunatics,” and Musk labeled it “a criminal enterprise.”
Obama praised USAID’s legacy, saying its work turned aid-receiving nations into U.S. trade partners and fueled global economic growth. “Gutting USAID is a travesty. Your work has mattered and will matter for generations to come,” he said.
Meanwhile, fallout continues from the corruption scandal. The Small Business Administration launched a full audit of all contract officers since 2010. SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler called the fraud “a damning reflection of systemic failures.” One longtime officer, Roderick Watson, pleaded guilty to accepting bribes from contractors over several years.
