Former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, along with U2’s Bono, addressed USAID staff via videoconference after the agency was shut down following a federal probe into fraud and mismanagement. Obama called the closure “a colossal mistake” and praised the agency’s global impact, while Bush highlighted the success of its HIV relief efforts, saying it had saved 25 million lives. Bono read a poem mourning the agency’s end and warned of future suffering.
USAID, founded under President Kennedy to provide foreign aid, was dismantled and absorbed by the State Department after being targeted by President Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Former DOGE head Elon Musk had labeled the agency a hub of “radical-left Marxists.” The emotional farewell event was closed to media, but clips were reviewed by the Associated Press.
