Bush, Obama, and Bono Mourn Closure of USAID in Final Farewell to Staff

In a rare show of bipartisan unity and celebrity support, former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama joined U2 frontman Bono this week to offer heartfelt farewells to the staff of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), following its controversial closure. The agency, long regarded as the cornerstone of American foreign aid, was officially dismantled after a federal investigation into alleged fraud and mismanagement.

The unusual gathering took place virtually, with all three figures appearing via videoconference to deliver their remarks directly to the outgoing employees. Media were not permitted at the event, but brief clips of the session were shared with select press outlets.

President Obama, addressing the staff with visible emotion, called the decision to dissolve USAID “a colossal mistake.”

“This agency has done some of the most important work anywhere in the world,” Obama said. “It’s a tragedy to see it come to an end this way. But sooner or later, I believe that leaders on both sides of the aisle will recognize the depth of your service and how desperately the world still needs you.”

The closure follows the efforts of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an agency formed under President Donald Trump with the aim of rooting out federal waste and streamlining government operations. USAID became one of DOGE’s first and most high-profile targets. Former DOGE head Elon Musk famously criticized the agency as “a viper’s nest of radical-left Marxists who hate America.”

Officially shuttered on Tuesday, USAID’s functions are now being absorbed by the State Department. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who served as USAID’s acting administrator during its final weeks, made the announcement. He argued the change would ensure foreign aid is delivered more efficiently and aligned with national interests.

“USAID has built a globe-spanning NGO complex at taxpayer expense,” Rubio said. “And despite billions in funding, development goals have rarely been achieved. Instability continues, and anti-American sentiment has only intensified. This era of inefficiency is over.”

Former President George W. Bush, who has rarely criticized Trump publicly, made an exception to express his disappointment. For Bush, the loss of USAID strikes a personal chord—his signature initiative, PEPFAR (the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief), operated largely through USAID and is widely credited with saving more than 25 million lives.

“You’ve shown the best of America through your compassion and commitment,” Bush told staff. “Was it in our national interest that 25 million people lived who might have died? I believe it was—and so do you.”

Bono, long an advocate for global development and public health initiatives, joined the two former presidents in honoring the legacy of the agency. He read a short poem he had written for the occasion, lamenting what he called the “unjust end” of a humanitarian institution.

“They called you crooks, when you were the best of us,” Bono recited, appearing visibly moved.

In recent months, Bono had already warned that cutting USAID could lead to widespread suffering, particularly in vulnerable regions reliant on U.S. foreign assistance. The singer has frequently clashed with Trump administration policies, once calling Trump “potentially the worst idea that ever happened to America.”

Trump, for his part, defended the agency’s closure during a recent address to Congress, where he touted $22 billion in savings found by DOGE. He pointed to numerous USAID programs he claimed lacked accountability or measurable benefit.

“Forty-five million for DEI scholarships in Burma,” he listed. “Forty million to support the inclusion of sedentary migrants. Nobody even knows what that means. Eight million to promote LGBTQI+ rights in Lesotho, a country most Americans have never heard of. Sixty million for Afro-Colombian empowerment in Central America. And $8 million to make mice transgender. You can’t make this stuff up.”

According to DOGE’s findings, much of the agency’s spending lacked oversight and failed to produce clear results. The agency’s critics claim USAID had become bloated and politically charged, drifting far from its original mission of stabilizing fragile nations and promoting U.S. interests abroad.

Supporters of the agency, however, argue that foreign aid plays a critical role in diplomacy, national security, and humanitarian relief—and that measuring its impact is not always as straightforward as financial spreadsheets suggest.

As USAID’s operations wind down, thousands of dedicated employees face uncertain futures. Many have spent decades in the field—responding to disasters, combating global disease, and supporting democracy and development around the world.

In his final message, Obama encouraged staff not to lose faith.

“You may be leaving your posts today, but your work is not done,” he said. “The world still needs what you’ve given—and what you still have to give. So don’t let this be the end. Let it be a new beginning.