📰 Bush and Obama Unite to Condemn Trump’s Shutdown of USAID
Former U.S. Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama have joined forces with U2’s Bono to denounce Donald Trump’s decision to dismantle the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
In a joint video, both leaders praised outgoing USAID workers whose programs — especially the fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa — have saved over 25 million lives.
Bush, who launched the PEPFAR initiative, called the closure “a loss of America’s compassionate spirit.”
Obama went further, calling it “a disgrace and a calamity.”
The Trump administration, working with Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency, has shut down most of USAID’s operations, moving its functions to the State Department under Secretary Marco Rubio.
Rubio defended the move as a push for “efficiency and accountability,” though critics warn it could weaken U.S. influence abroad.
Bono described USAID as “a quiet army of compassion,” while many see Bush and Obama’s rare unity as a defense of America’s moral leadership.
“Our compassion isn’t weakness. It’s strength — it reflects who we are,” Bush said.
