Bill Gates Sounds Off After Musk’s DOGE Shutters USAID
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates appeared on ABC’s “The View” on Tuesday, where he criticized fellow billionaire Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency’s decision to shut down USAID.
“Well, Elon, his private sector work, you know, has been very innovative, really fantastic,” Gates remarked after reports confirmed that USAID offices had been closed and its funding frozen.
“A lot of private sector people, when they get into government, they don’t take the time necessarily to see what the good work is or why it’s structured the way it is, so I’m a little worried, particularly with this USAID stuff,” he continued.
“My foundation partners with USAID on nutrition and getting vaccines out, and, you know, there’s incredible people,” Gates added. “You know, they’re not actually worms that work there. So, you know, hopefully, we’ll get some of that work back in shape. In fact, if we don’t, you know, you could have literally millions of deaths.”
Musk’s DOGE initiative, aimed at cutting government inefficiency and reducing federal expenditures, has brought USAID under increased scrutiny. This has also put a spotlight on Samantha Power, who oversaw the agency during much of the Biden administration, as reported by Fox News.
Power, who held the role of U.S. ambassador to the United Nations from 2013 to 2017 under the Obama administration and served on his National Security Council, took charge of USAID early in the Biden presidency. She was responsible for overseeing the massive foreign aid budget, which totaled tens of billions of dollars.
“One of the most pressing challenges facing our nation is restoring and strengthening America’s global leadership as a champion of democracy, human rights, and the dignity of all people,” then-Vice President-elect Kamala Harris stated when announcing Power’s appointment. “Few Americans are better equipped to help lead that work than Ambassador Samantha Power.”
Power was involved in the Obama administration’s surveillance of Trump’s 2016 campaign and attempted at least seven times to access Michael Flynn’s redacted identity through an “unmasking” request, as previously detailed by Fox News Digital.
Despite this, during her sworn testimony before the House Intelligence Committee, Power stated she had “no recollection” of making such requests.
Supporters of Power argue that she played a key role in delivering U.S. assistance to war-affected areas such as Ukraine and Gaza, while also aiding humanitarian efforts in nations like Haiti, Armenia, and Sudan.
However, USAID has come under fire from Republican lawmakers, who have criticized its alleged involvement in funding coronavirus-related research at China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology. The agency has also faced scrutiny for allocating millions of dollars toward LGBT rights initiatives overseas and providing financial aid for migrant crises in various countries.
For example, USAID designated nearly $45 million in emergency food aid and economic support for Venezuelan migrants in Colombia, according to Fox News.
Over the weekend, Musk announced via an audio-only message on X that “we’re in the process” of “shutting down USAID.”
A Fox News Digital examination of USAID’s financial history found that accusations of mismanagement and corruption have followed the agency for years, even before Trump’s second term. The expenditures under Power’s leadership are expected to remain a key discussion point among Republican lawmakers.
In November 2024, a 53-year-old Syrian national, Mahmoud Al Hafyan, was charged with allegedly diverting over $9 million in U.S. humanitarian aid to terrorist organizations, including Al-Nusrah Front, according to Fox News.