Bush, Obama, Bono mourn USAID closure

The Trump administration slammed the brakes on USAID, folding its programs into the State Department amid cries of fraud and inefficiency. On June 30, 2025, former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, joined by U2’s Bono, held a virtual pep rally for the agency’s disheartened staff. Their words dripped with nostalgia, but the move to shutter USAID reflects a broader push to curb government waste.

Former Presidents Bush and Obama, alongside rockstar Bono, addressed USAID employees via videoconference as the agency faced its final hours. The Trump administration absorbed USAID’s foreign aid programs into the State Department on July 1, 2025, citing rampant mismanagement. This marked the end of an agency born under Kennedy to deliver economic aid abroad.

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk in early 2025, spearheaded the charge against USAID. Musk called it a “viper’s nest” of anti-American radicals, a sentiment echoed by Trump in a March 2025 address claiming DOGE uncovered $22 billion in government waste. The investigation zeroed in on USAID’s alleged corruption, including a bribery scheme where four individuals pleaded guilty.

Shuttering Sparks High-Profile Outcry

Bush, whose administration used USAID to save 25 million lives through an AIDS program, called the closure a blow to America’s moral strength. “Is it in our national interests that 25 million people who would have died now live?” he asked, framing USAID’s work as a national asset. His heartfelt plea sidesteps the agency’s documented failures, which critics argue outweigh its past glories.

Obama labeled the shutdown a “colossal mistake,” insisting USAID’s work was among the world’s most vital. “Gutting USAID is a travesty, and it’s a tragedy,” he said. Yet, his defense glosses over DOGE’s findings of inefficiency and programs that strayed from America’s core interests.

Bono, never shy about his disdain for Trump, called USAID staff “the best of us” while decrying their critics. His 2016 claim that Trump was “the worst idea” for America colors his remarks, revealing more about his bias than USAID’s actual record. The rockstar’s emotional appeal lacks the hard data to counter DOGE’s allegations.

State Department Takes the Reins

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, acting as USAID’s final administrator, oversaw the agency’s absorption into his department. Rubio argued USAID failed to deliver results since the Cold War, fostering instability and anti-American sentiment instead. “Development objectives have rarely been met,” he wrote, signaling a new era of accountability.

Rubio’s vision prioritizes American interests, a sharp pivot from USAID’s sprawling, often unfocused initiatives. “This era of government-sanctioned inefficiency has officially come to an end,” he declared. His approach promises streamlined foreign aid, though skeptics wonder if the State Department can handle the load.

Trump himself highlighted USAID’s questionable spending, mocking projects like $8 million for “making mice transgender” and $60 million for Afro-Colombian empowerment. These examples, while eyebrow-raising, underscore DOGE’s broader point: taxpayer dollars funded niche causes with little tangible return. The administration’s focus on waste resonates with fed-up Americans.

Political Heavyweights Weigh In

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton took to X on July 1, 2025, praising foreign service officers as dedicated public servants. “Their work saves lives and makes the world safer,” she posted. Her selective gratitude ignores the guilty pleas in USAID’s bribery scandal, which Democrats once shielded from scrutiny.

Obama and Bush, despite attending Trump’s inauguration, rarely critique his policies publicly. Obama’s recent jab at Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” on social media breaks that silence, hinting at deeper tensions. Their USAID defense feels like a calculated shot at Trump’s efficiency drive.

The Associated Press, reviewing videoconference clips, noted the absence of media during the event. This closed-door farewell reeks of elitism, as Bush, Obama, and Bono rallied staff without public scrutiny. Transparency, it seems, wasn’t on the agenda.

A Conservative Case for Reform

USAID’s shuttering aligns with DOGE’s mission to root out waste, fraud, and abuse across government. The agency’s track record—marred by scandals and questionable priorities—made it a prime target for reform. Conservatives cheer the move as a step toward fiscal responsibility.

Still, Bush’s point about saving lives through USAID’s AIDS program carries weight. Empathy for suffering abroad isn’t the issue; it’s the bloated, unaccountable system that rankles taxpayers. A leaner, State Department-led approach could balance compassion with pragmatism.

The outcry from Bush, Obama, and Bono reveals a disconnect between establishment ideals and the MAGA push for efficiency. Their lofty rhetoric can’t erase USAID’s failures or the need for a foreign aid model that puts America first. As Rubio steers this transition, the nation watches to see if promises of accountability hold firm.