Fareed Zakaria

So I've thought about this a lot because why would you choose USAID? It's 1% of the federal budget. If you were able to change some of the uploading mechanisms in Medicare Advantage, you'd probably save more money than in reforming USAID. Medicare is a trillion dollars. Social Security is a trillion and a half dollars. USAID is about $40 billion. Right. And they don't seem to be reforming it.

So I've thought about this a lot because why would you choose USAID? It's 1% of the federal budget. If you were able to change some of the uploading mechanisms in Medicare Advantage, you'd probably save more money than in reforming USAID. Medicare is a trillion dollars. Social Security is a trillion and a half dollars. USAID is about $40 billion. Right. And they don't seem to be reforming it.

They're annihilating it. So I think what happened is, if there's thought behind it, there must have been. Musk and company said, what is the least popular form of spending that the U.S. does? And Marco Rubio alluded to this. It's obviously foreign aid. You're sending money to foreigners. People feel like, why shouldn't we be spending it at home? It's easy, right? So I think that that was the idea.

They're annihilating it. So I think what happened is, if there's thought behind it, there must have been. Musk and company said, what is the least popular form of spending that the U.S. does? And Marco Rubio alluded to this. It's obviously foreign aid. You're sending money to foreigners. People feel like, why shouldn't we be spending it at home? It's easy, right? So I think that that was the idea.

Let's go for an easy win. Let's go for something where particularly our base, the MAGA base, and most Americans in general, think this is a waste of government spending. And they went at it with a brutality, I think, to send a signal to other government agencies, don't block us. This is what will happen to you if you try to, in some way or the other, do an end run around what we're doing.

Let's go for an easy win. Let's go for something where particularly our base, the MAGA base, and most Americans in general, think this is a waste of government spending. And they went at it with a brutality, I think, to send a signal to other government agencies, don't block us. This is what will happen to you if you try to, in some way or the other, do an end run around what we're doing.

Look, the effect to my mind is tragic because there's the sort of geopolitical argument that this is the soft power of the United States. We go into these countries and people think well of America. Now the Chinese are going to go in. The Russians are going to go in. I believe all that. But I think it's you put it in those competitive terms to sell it. And I get it.

Look, the effect to my mind is tragic because there's the sort of geopolitical argument that this is the soft power of the United States. We go into these countries and people think well of America. Now the Chinese are going to go in. The Russians are going to go in. I believe all that. But I think it's you put it in those competitive terms to sell it. And I get it.

But, you know, it's been one of the wonderful things that the United States has done in the world. Foreign aid barely existed before 1945. It's, again, one of these revolutions of foreign policy that America in large part initiated. And, you know, I think it is largely the impulse comes from the idea we're the richest country in the history of the world.

But, you know, it's been one of the wonderful things that the United States has done in the world. Foreign aid barely existed before 1945. It's, again, one of these revolutions of foreign policy that America in large part initiated. And, you know, I think it is largely the impulse comes from the idea we're the richest country in the history of the world.

It's also be a great thing for us to be the most generous country in the history of the world. Four out of every 10 humanitarian dollars spent in the world are spent by the United States. And most of USAID's budget is food and medicine. You're literally feeding the hungry, you're clothing sick people. I've seen this on the ground. The people who do work at USAID are

It's also be a great thing for us to be the most generous country in the history of the world. Four out of every 10 humanitarian dollars spent in the world are spent by the United States. And most of USAID's budget is food and medicine. You're literally feeding the hungry, you're clothing sick people. I've seen this on the ground. The people who do work at USAID are

These are people who moved to Mozambique or Ghana to learn how to get water filtration systems in there. They're getting paid $60,000, $70,000 a year. They're not doing it for the money. They're not doing it for the glory. They're doing it because they believe that the United States can have a kind of positive impact on the world.

These are people who moved to Mozambique or Ghana to learn how to get water filtration systems in there. They're getting paid $60,000, $70,000 a year. They're not doing it for the money. They're not doing it for the glory. They're doing it because they believe that the United States can have a kind of positive impact on the world.

And to see the agency gutted, the funding pulled, and these people demeaned and demonized, called a criminal enterprise. It's so sad. You know, I grew up in India and I saw so much of the USAID funding, which was exactly the kind of stuff that Doge demonizes, which was to say, I mean, there was a program where they'd show old American movies in the U.S.

And to see the agency gutted, the funding pulled, and these people demeaned and demonized, called a criminal enterprise. It's so sad. You know, I grew up in India and I saw so much of the USAID funding, which was exactly the kind of stuff that Doge demonizes, which was to say, I mean, there was a program where they'd show old American movies in the U.S.

consulate and a whole bunch of us would go there. And I remember, I mean, I went to, I saw It's a Wonderful Life and movies like that. And you know what? It made me fall in love with America.

consulate and a whole bunch of us would go there. And I remember, I mean, I went to, I saw It's a Wonderful Life and movies like that. And you know what? It made me fall in love with America.

I think that's always been America's great strength, which is that it's the Chinese who do these deals with an African country and with the dictator and say, you know, we'll build you a dam and in return for that, here's what we want. And by the way, you can take 10%. What American soft power has been, we let the world know who we are.

I think that's always been America's great strength, which is that it's the Chinese who do these deals with an African country and with the dictator and say, you know, we'll build you a dam and in return for that, here's what we want. And by the way, you can take 10%. What American soft power has been, we let the world know who we are.