The former US President Obama and Bush made a rare public statement on June 30, local time, the last working day of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) as an independent agency, severely criticizing the Trump administration's decision to dissolve the agency.

George W. Bush and Obama CNN

According to multiple American media reports including Associated Press, Obama said in a pre-recorded video that the Trump administration's "destruction of USAID is a colossal mistake" and that the role of the agency in promoting global development and US national security "will endure for generations." He emphasized, "Weakening USAID is a distortion, a tragedy, because it is one of the most important works in the world."

This agency was one of the primary targets for budget cuts by Trump and his former ally Musk. Employees were locked out of their accounts without any warning, forced to leave their posts, and collectively fired through mass emails.

Trump had accused the agency of being dominated by "radical left-wing maniacs" and having "huge fraud"; Musk called it a "criminal organization."

US Secretary of State Rubio has signed an order to merge USAID into the Department of State from July 1st, and establish a new foreign aid agency named "America First." The US Department of State stated that the specific plan for the new agency will be announced this week.

George W. Bush focused on the budget cuts facing the "President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief" (PEPFAR) established during his term. He said, "Your work demonstrates the strength of America, which is your kindness. Over 25 million people around the world have been saved by this program. Isn't that in line with our national interest? I think so, and you do too."

A staff member from the United Nations World Food Programme broke down in tears at the farewell event, saying that US aid "will return eventually." Former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, and former Colombian President Juan Santos also gave speeches, affirming the crucial role of USAID in global poverty reduction, responding to famines, and combating diseases.

Irish rock band U2's lead singer Bono appeared as a surprise guest at the event. He joked that USAID employees were "America's secret agents" and recited a poem he wrote for the agency on the spot, "They call you criminals, but you are the best among us."

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) was established in 1961 by then-president John F. Kennedy. Its core mission was to promote American values and contain communist expansion during the Cold War between the US and the Soviet Union through economic aid and technical support. In the following decades, the agency became the main executor of US foreign aid, leading projects on global poverty alleviation, public health, and education, and once gained bipartisan support.

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