The Human Cost Of DOGE’s Reckless USAID Destruction | Nicholas Enrich | TMR

USAID was the federal agency delivering foreign aid and international development, operating on a $40 billion budget (less than 1% of the federal budget). It saved 92 million lives in the last 20 years, primarily through global health and humanitarian assistance programs. The agency also served US national security interests by preventing infectious diseases from spreading globally and building international partnerships and goodwill.

The guest states USAID saved 92 million lives over the last 20 years with less than 1% of the federal budget, and prevented infectious diseases abroad from coming to US borders.

The Trump administration appointed unqualified individuals, referred to as 'Doge bros,' to lead USAID. These appointees lacked expertise in international development or government operations and were driven by conspiracy theories, such as the false belief that USAID primarily funded abortions. They terminated critical contracts by performing keyword searches on titles, leading to absurd outcomes like cutting potable water for US staff in South Sudan and disabling the contract termination system itself.

Appointees looked at the guest 'like they were totally shocked' when briefed on global health, believing USAID only did abortions. Contracts were terminated by keyword search, leading to cuts in potable water for US staff and the system that manages contract terminations.

The cuts to USAID programs have led to an estimated 750,000 deaths to date, with projections of 14 million more within five years. Examples include clinics in Sudan closing, leaving families without emergency food or medical care. Far from saving money, the dismantling broke USAID's payment system, incurring billions in interest and administrative closeout costs, making the financial hole as deep as the human cost.

750,000 people have died to date from cuts, with estimates of 14 million more in 5 years. Stories of closed clinics in Sudan and pregnant women lacking emergency care are cited. The broken payment system racked up billions in interest, and administrative closeout is estimated at $19 billion.

Elon Musk became a vocal critic of USAID after hearing Mike Benz on the Joe Rogan show, subsequently tweeting extensively about the agency as 'evil' and 'Marxist.' This public amplification of conspiracy theories directly influenced the administration's actions and created a hostile environment for USAID staff, who feared for their safety.

Before Mike Benz on Joe Rogan, Musk never tweeted about USAID; afterwards, it became his 'public enemy number one' with 'weird late night stints of 40 or 50 tweets.' Musk also publicly lied about Ebola prevention activities restarting.

Rebuilding USAID will be significantly harder than its destruction. While replacing expertise is possible, the greater challenge lies in restoring the trust of international partners, which was shattered by the abrupt termination of decades-long partnerships without warning or transition. The loss of recruitment pipelines for public service also impacts the future talent pool for government agencies.

Replacing expertise 'will actually not be the hardest part.' The 'real challenge is the trust that we've broken with countries and governments overseas,' which will take 'decades' to rebuild.