In an extraordinary moment of unity, former presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush teamed up with U2’s Bono to console USAID workers after the agency’s shocking shutdown. Speaking via video, both leaders condemned President Trump’s decision to dismantle the foreign aid institution, calling it “a tragedy” and “a colossal mistake.”
The closure followed corruption probes under Trump’s new Department of Government Efficiency — headed by Elon Musk, who branded USAID “a viper’s nest of radical-left Marxists.” As Bush and Obama mourned the end of a legacy that began under JFK, Bono praised the staff for their humanitarian work, calling them “the soul of America abroad.” What was meant as a farewell became a fiery rebuke — a rare bipartisan moment of defiance against Trump’s dismantling of U.S. diplomacy.
