“Well, Elon, his private sector work, you know, has been very innovative, really fantastic,” Gates said following news that USAID offices had been closed and the charity’s funds 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,” Gates continued.
“My foundation partners with USAID on nutrition and getting vaccines out, and, you know, there’s incredible people,” he 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.”
USAID has recently come under scrutiny as part of Elon Musk’s DOGE initiative to reduce government waste and spending, placing added focus on the record of Samantha Power, the agency’s administrator throughout much of the Biden administration, Fox News noted.
Power, who served as the United States ambassador to the United Nations from 2013 to 2017 during the Obama administration after a role on his National Security Council, took leadership of USAID in the early days of the Biden administration. She was tasked with overseeing the tens of billions of dollars allocated for foreign aid.
“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 said in a statement at the time of Power’s appointment. “Few Americans are better equipped to help lead that work than Ambassador Samantha Power.”
Power was directly involved in the Obama administration’s surveillance of Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and attempted to obtain Michael Flynn’s redacted identity through an “unmasking” request on at least seven occasions, as previously reported by Fox News Digital.
This came despite her testimony under oath before the House Intelligence Committee, where she claimed to have “no recollection” of ever making such a request, even once.
Supporters of Power argue that she has played a crucial role in delivering U.S. assistance to war-torn regions such as Ukraine and Gaza, as well as providing aid for humanitarian crises in countries like Haiti, Armenia, and Sudan.
USAID has faced growing criticism from Republicans over its alleged funding of coronavirus-related research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China. Additionally, the agency has come under scrutiny for millions of dollars in aid supporting LGBT rights abroad, as well as substantial funding for migrant crises in other countries.
This includes nearly $45 million earmarked for emergency food assistance and economic support for Venezuelan migrants in Colombia, Fox noted.
Musk announced in an audio-only message on X over the weekend that “we’re in the process” of “shutting down USAID.”
A Fox News Digital review of USAID’s recent history reveals that the agency has long been accused of financial mismanagement and corruption, well before Trump’s second administration. The spending that occurred under Power’s leadership is expected to remain a focal point of discussion among Republicans.
A 53-year-old Syrian national, Mahmoud Al Hafyan, was charged in November 2024 for allegedly diverting over $9 million in U.S.-funded humanitarian aid to terrorist groups, including Al-Nusrah Front, Fox reported.
