Bono Recites ‘Emotional’ Poem Mourning USAID Shutdown in Video with Bush & Obama
A highly emotional video farewell was released by the teary threesome as a last goodbye to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and its 10,000 employees – all funded by U.S. taxpayers – AP reports.
The former presidents and Bono spoke with thousands in the global USAID community in a videoconference, which was billed as a closed-press event to allow political leaders and others privacy for sometimes angry, teary remarks.
They took the opportunity to repeat untested allegations the end of USAID is the end of life for thousands of former recipients.
Parts of the video were shared with the Associated Press and noted in its report with Obama calling the Trump administration’s dismantling of USAID “a colossal mistake.”
As Breitbart News reported, President Donald Trump ordered the closure of the agency as one of his first acts on returning to the White house, noting the agency was run by “radical left lunatics” and rife with “tremendous fraud,” while Elon Musk called it “a criminal organization.”
Trump and a host of Republican lawmakers targeted USAID, which oversees humanitarian, development and security programs in some 120 countries, after accusing it of losing its way.
Obama, speaking in a recorded statement, offered assurances to the aid and development workers, some listening from overseas.
“Your work has mattered and will matter for generations to come,” he told them, per the AP report.
Bono, who has an estimated personal net worth of $700 million, was announced as the “surprise guest,” in shades and a cap.
