Obama, Bush, and Bono Lament Closure of USAID Amid Trump-Era Crackdown on Foreign Aid

In a rare bipartisan moment of reflection and rebuke, former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, alongside U2 frontman and activist Bono, came together this week—virtually—to address the final group of U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) employees as the agency officially ceased operations.

The closure, finalized on Tuesday, follows a sweeping investigation into alleged fraud and inefficiency. It also marks the end of an era for an institution that had long been central to U.S. global development efforts. Founded under President John F. Kennedy in 1961, USAID played a key role in delivering humanitarian aid, supporting democratic institutions abroad, and combating disease and poverty across the globe.

Now, under President Donald Trump’s second administration, its legacy is being dismantled—absorbed by the State Department and targeted as a symbol of bloated government and wasteful spending.

In a farewell event held via videoconference and closed to the press, Obama, Bush, and Bono spoke directly to USAID staff. The Associated Press reviewed portions of the call and reported on the speakers’ emotional tones.

Obama: “A Tragedy and a Colossal Mistake”

Former President Obama, who championed international cooperation during his time in office, expressed deep disappointment with the decision to shutter the agency.

“Gutting USAID is a travesty, and it’s a tragedy,” Obama said in a video message. “Because it’s some of the most important work happening anywhere in the world.”

Calling the move “a colossal mistake,” he added, “Sooner or later, leaders on both sides of the aisle will realize how much you are needed.”

Obama praised the dedication of USAID staff and suggested that history would ultimately vindicate their mission, even as the agency is dismantled under the Trump administration’s banner of government reform.

Bush: “You Showed the World America’s Heart”

In a rare move, former President George W. Bush also voiced criticism—though focused more on the agency’s legacy than on its political opponents.

Bush spoke particularly about PEPFAR, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, a hallmark of his administration that was largely implemented through USAID. He noted that the initiative had saved an estimated 25 million lives.

“You’ve shown the great strength of America through your work—and that is your good heart,” Bush said. “Is it in our national interest that 25 million people who would have died now live? I think it is, and so do you.”

Though Bush has typically stayed quiet on Trump-era decisions, his words carried clear undertones of frustration over the rollback of his humanitarian legacy.

Bono: “They Called You Crooks, When You Were the Best of Us”

Joining the two former presidents was Irish rock star and humanitarian Bono, a longtime advocate for global health and poverty relief efforts. He read an original poem during the call, written to honor USAID’s mission and its workers.

“They called you crooks. When you were the best of us,” he recited, reflecting on the accusations that had led to the agency’s dissolution.

Bono has been outspoken in the past about his opposition to Trump’s foreign aid policies. In 2016, he referred to Trump as “potentially the worst idea that ever happened to America.” In recent months, he warned publicly that closing USAID could result in “hundreds of thousands of unnecessary deaths.”

A Trump-Era Reform Comes to Fruition

USAID’s closure stems from a months-long campaign led by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a new federal agency established by Trump in early 2025 to eliminate what it identified as wasteful or politicized government spending. Former DOGE head Elon Musk previously referred to USAID as “a viper’s nest of radical-left Marxists who hate America.”

In March, Trump praised DOGE’s efforts in an address to Congress, citing $22 billion in spending cuts. Among the examples he listed were $45 million in diversity scholarships for students in Burma and $8 million for LGBTQ+ advocacy in Lesotho.

“They spent eight million dollars making mice transgender,” Trump said during the speech. “That’s not aid—that’s insanity.”

Rubio Takes the Reins at State

Senator Marco Rubio, who served as USAID’s acting administrator in its final weeks, announced that the State Department will now oversee all future foreign aid programs. He argued the transition would bring “greater efficiency, strategy, and alignment with national interests.”

“Development objectives have rarely been met,” Rubio said. “Instability has often worsened, and anti-American sentiment has only grown. This era of government-sanctioned inefficiency has officially come to an end.”

As of July 1, all USAID operations ceased, with its functions absorbed into the State Department’s Bureau of Foreign Assistance.

While the agency’s official closure is complete, the debate over its value—and what its absence will mean for global stability—continues to unfold.