• Former presidents Obama and Bush criticized Trump's dismantling of USAID on its final day as an independent agency.
• The agency, founded in 1961, is set to be merged into the State Department as part of government cuts.
• In an emotional farewell video, Bono recited a heartfelt poem acknowledging USAID staff’s significant contributions.

On the last day the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) operated as an independent agency, former US Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush, along with musician Bono, voiced strong criticisms of President Trump's administration's actions. In an emotional video farewell, they thanked USAID staff for their dedication, stressing the importance of their work in global humanitarian aid. Obama condemned the move to abolish the agency, calling it “a colossal mistake,” while Bush reiterated its critical role in saving lives and advancing US humanitarian interests, highlighting the negative impacts this decision could have on numerous ongoing programs, according to SCMP, Al Jazeera, and TRT Global.

Former Secretary of State Marco Rubio has ordered that USAID's operations be integrated into the State Department, a move that Trump defended by asserting that the agency was “run by radical left lunatics” and “rife with tremendous fraud”. This controversial transition followed years of criticism of USAID, which was established by President John F. Kennedy to promote goodwill and security. Many in the humanitarian sector fear that merging USAID could severely limit its effectiveness during critical global crises, according to The Hill, Al Jazeera, and SCMP.

In his tribute, Obama assured USAID employees that their contributions had a lasting impact, stating, “Your work has mattered and will matter for generations to come.” Bono expressed deep sorrow for the cuts, reciting a poem that painted a stark picture of the consequences of USAID's dismantling, including references to increasing malnutrition and projected deaths. He remarked, “They called you crooks when you were the best of us,” denouncing the rhetoric used by some political figures to discredit the agency's dedicated workforce, according to SCMP, Al Jazeera, and TRT Global.

Bush acknowledged the bipartisan effort that had once preserved funding for crucial programs such as the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which has saved millions of lives. He emphasized the importance of assistance programs funded by USAID, stating, “Is it in our national interests that 25 million people who would have died now live?" highlighting the effectiveness of such humanitarian aid in promoting global health and stability, according to The Hill, SCMP, and TRT Global.