It was a quiet yet powerful protest, carried by respect, sorrow, and anger: two former U.S. presidents and a rock star bid farewell on Monday in an emotional video call to the staff of the U.S. Agency for International Development – and openly criticized its dismantling by the Trump administration. Barack Obama called the decision a “colossal failure.” George W. Bush spoke of the loss of a “good heart.” And Bono, the singer of U2, recited a poem. After more than sixty years as an independent agency, USAID ceased to exist on Monday – an institution once founded by President John F. Kennedy as a peaceful means of promoting American security through international development, prosperity, and goodwill. Starting Tuesday, USAID will be absorbed into the State Department – by order of Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The new name of the successor program: “America First.” In a video conference, Obama, Bush, and Bono addressed thousands of employees. Many of them had been abruptly laid off in recent months – without warning, via mass email, locked out of systems, removed from offices. Their work, their careers, their life’s mission: dissolved with a stroke of a pen. What remained was bewilderment. And now, on this final day, also comfort.
Obama, who had largely withdrawn from public life during Trump’s second term, spoke with unusual clarity. “Your work has mattered and will matter for generations to come,” he told the remaining and former staff. Then came the central sentence: “Dismantling USAID is a travesty – and a tragedy. Because it is some of the most important work happening anywhere in the world.” Obama praised the agency not only as a lifesaver, but also as a driver of global growth: many countries that were once recipients of development aid are now trading partners of the United States. “Sooner or later,” he said, “leaders on both sides of the political spectrum will realize how much we need you.” George W. Bush also addressed the staff via video message – and reminded them of one of the key programs of his presidency: PEPFAR, the initiative to fight HIV and AIDS, which is credited with saving more than 25 million lives worldwide. “You have shown America’s true strength through your work – your good heart,” said Bush. “Is it in our national interest that 25 million people who would otherwise have died are now alive? I think so. And so do you.” Among the speakers were also international voices – former presidents like Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia and Juan Manuel Santos of Colombia, as well as former UN ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield. A former aid worker tearfully recalled how, as an eight-year-old girl in a camp for Liberian children, she had seen USAID workers for the first time – with food, care, and hope. A visibly moved representative of the World Food Programme promised the community: “The U.S. aid mission will return someday.”
And then came Bono. Sunglasses, cap, a touch of irony – but the singer’s appearance was anything but a gag. He jokingly referred to the USAID staff as “secret agents of international development.” Then he turned serious. Very serious. He spoke of dying children, of hunger, disease, despair – all of which, he said, would now increase because the U.S. was cutting its programs. He then read a self-written poem. A homage to those who had dedicated their lives to helping – and a denunciation of those who now defame them. “They called you crooks. When you were the best of us,” said Bono. And he closed with a promise – that the idea of USAID would live on, in people, in actions, in memory. Trump had regularly attacked the agency during his second term – calling it “far-left,” “corrupt,” and “useless.” His billionaire ally Elon Musk went even further – he called USAID a “criminal organization.” Both had played key roles in stripping the agency of its power. On Tuesday, the State Department is set to unveil a new concept – “America First,” the successor program, which is intended to “align every tax dollar with national interests,” according to the announcement. There is no mention of international solidarity. For decades, USAID was a symbol of an America that was more than power – an America that felt responsible for the lives of others. It funded water access in arid regions, distributed food in war zones, promoted vaccinations, education, democracy, agriculture. It was imperfect. But it was there. And it was important. Now it is history. What remains is a promise. And the tears of those who once were its voice.
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