In a poignant and private farewell, former Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush joined U2 frontman Bono in bidding a tearful goodbye to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), as the historic agency closed its doors after more than 60 years of humanitarian work.
On Monday, during a closed-press videoconference with thousands of USAID employees, the three figures delivered emotional tributes to the agency’s legacy and fierce criticism of the Trump administration’s decision to dismantle it.
President Donald Trump, with support from billionaire ally Elon Musk, ordered the dissolution of USAID, calling the agency “a criminal organization” and claiming it was filled with “radical left lunatics” and “tremendous fraud.” Staffers were abruptly locked out of systems and terminated en masse via email.
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Obama, who has largely refrained from public commentary during Trump’s second term, broke his silence with a scathing rebuke of the agency’s elimination. “Gutting USAID is a travesty, and it’s a tragedy. Because it’s some of the most important work happening anywhere in the world,” he said.
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Calling the move “a colossal mistake,” Obama emphasized USAID’s far-reaching impact, not just in saving lives, but in cultivating global markets and partnerships that have benefited the U.S. economy. “Your work has mattered and will matter for generations to come,” he assured the displaced staff.
Created by President John F. Kennedy as a peaceful instrument of U.S. diplomacy, USAID was long regarded as a pillar of America’s soft power. But as of Tuesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has ordered the agency to be absorbed into the State Department, where its responsibilities will shift to a new unit branded “America First.”
“The new process will ensure there is proper oversight and that every tax dollar spent will help advance our national interests,” a State Department spokesperson said.
Former President George W. Bush used his remarks to highlight cuts to PEPFAR, the landmark HIV/AIDS relief program he launched while in office, a program credited with saving more than 25 million lives worldwide.
“You’ve showed the great strength of America through your work — and that is your good heart,” Bush told the gathering. “Is it in our national interests that 25 million people who would have died now live? I think it is, and so do you,” he said.
The event also featured appearances from global statesmen, including former Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, former Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, and former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield. Humanitarian workers added personal accounts, with one recalling the arrival of USAID food teams at a Liberian refugee camp when she was just eight years old.
READ ALSO: Funding cuts from USAID disrupt language education for thousands in Mali
A representative from the World Food Program, choked with emotion, vowed through tears that the U.S. aid mission would one day return.
Closing the gathering with a surprise appearance was Bono, longtime activist and outspoken advocate for humanitarian causes. Dressed in his signature shades and cap, the rockstar saluted the group with a mix of levity and sorrow.
He hailed them as “secret agents of international development” and recited a heartfelt poem mourning the agency’s dismantling and the global consequences of the funding cuts.
“They called you crooks. When you were the best of us,” Bono said, lamenting the millions projected to suffer due to the rollback of aid programs.
READ ALSO: Appeals court allows DOGE to continue operating at USAID
