Popular podcaster Joe Rogan didn’t mince words in a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, calling the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) a “money laundering operation.” But even he admitted that President Donald Trump’s swift budget cuts to the agency may have been carried out too quickly.
Bono Raises Alarm Over Global Impact of USAID Cuts
Joining Rogan on the podcast was U2 lead singer and longtime humanitarian Bono, who voiced concern that defunding USAID could be contributing to global humanitarian crises. He cited reports suggesting that abrupt funding cuts have led to severe disruptions in food and medical aid around the world.
Bono referenced data suggesting that as many as 300,000 deaths, mostly among children, may be linked to the halt in USAID programs. He described tons of food aid sitting unused in warehouses in locations like Djibouti, Dubai, South Africa—even Houston, Texas—due to a lack of personnel following staff cuts.
“That’s not the America I believe in,” Bono said. “Food is rotting while people starve—how is that leadership?”
Rogan: USAID Was Plagued by Fraud and Lack of Oversight
While Rogan acknowledged that aid programs can do good, he emphasized the massive corruption and lack of financial oversight that plagued USAID for years.
“It was absolutely a money laundering operation,” Rogan said. “There was no accountability. Billions of taxpayer dollars went missing. That’s just fact.”
He explained that Trump’s foreign aid cuts were likely aimed at rooting out waste and fraud, but the execution may have been rushed. Rogan pointed out that well-intentioned programs—like clean water projects or medical outreach in developing nations—were also caught in the crossfire.
Striking a Balance: Reform Without Harm
Rogan stressed that conservative efforts to reduce government waste are both necessary and long overdue—but called for more strategic thinking.
“You can’t shut down everything just to stop fraud,” Rogan noted. “That’s throwing out the good with the bad.”
Bono Appeals to American Values
Bono pushed back, saying the world still looks to the United States for moral leadership and life-saving humanitarian aid.
“Cutting all aid just because some parts are broken is like amputating a pinky because the arm’s too big,” he said.
Final Thought: Can America Lead Without Overspending?
As debates continue over the future of foreign aid, one question remains: Can the United States eliminate wasteful spending while still honoring its legacy of compassion and leadership? For many conservative Americans, the answer lies in reforming—not abolishing—programs that were never held accountable in the first place.