Podcast Summary: "U.S.A.I.D. Might Be Dead, but the Waste Is Alive and Well"

Podcast Information:

• Title: The Opinions
• Host/Author: The New York Times Opinion
• Description: You've heard the news, here's what to make of it.
• Episode: U.S.A.I.D. Might Be Dead, but the Waste Is Alive and Well
• Release Date: July 2, 2025

Introduction

In the episode titled "U.S.A.I.D. Might Be Dead, but the Waste Is Alive and Well," Nicholas Kristof, a renowned New York Times columnist, delves deep into the ramifications of the drastic cuts to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Together with contributions from Helene Cooper, a military correspondent for the New York Times, the discussion highlights the human and financial toll of dismantling one of America's key humanitarian aid organizations.

The Dismantling of USAID

Nicholas Kristof opens the episode by addressing the significant reduction in American aid funding orchestrated under the Trump administration, a move he attributes to both Donald Trump and Elon Musk. He emphasizes USAID's crucial role in providing humanitarian assistance, noting its profound impact:

"USAID has provided humanitarian assistance always, and it's had an enormous impact. By one count, it saved more than 3 million lives each year." [00:46]

Kristof criticizes the approach taken by Trump and Musk, arguing that their promises to eliminate waste within U.S. aid programs have instead resulted in increased inefficiencies and lost lives.

Humanitarian Impact in West Africa

Kristof provides firsthand accounts from his visits to Sierra Leone and Liberia, illustrating the dire consequences of USAID's budget cuts:

1. Medicines Left Unused:

   • Sierra Leone: Kristof recounts discovering a warehouse filled with millions of doses of donated medicines intended for mass drug administrations to combat diseases like blindness and schistosomiasis. These drugs, donated by pharmaceutical giants like Merck, are highly cost-effective:

     "For every dollar it costs, you leverage $26 in private donations." [02:35]

     However, due to the cancellation of distribution programs, these life-saving medicines are now gathering dust, nearing expiration, and face potential destruction.

2. Lack of Antiretroviral Drugs:

   • Liberia: A social worker, referred to as PIOS, shares the devastating impact of USAID cuts on HIV-positive patients:

     "Do you know the name of the American president who made these decisions?" [03:22] "Yeah, Donald Trump." [03:26]

     The cessation of essential drug supplies has led to shortages of antiretroviral medications, leaving many patients vulnerable and leading to increased mortality rates.

A Heartbreaking Case: Yama Freeman

One of the most poignant stories Kristof shares is that of Yama Freeman, a pregnant woman in Liberia whose life was tragically cut short due to USAID's funding cuts:

"The US had donated ambulances to rush women with labor problems to a hospital that could have saved her life. But when USAID cuts were made, one of those cuts was to the fuel to support those ambulances." [05:10]

When Yama hemorrhaged during labor, the ambulance was unavailable due to fuel shortages. Her family had to make a harrowing decision to transport her manually, resulting in her death and that of her unborn son. Kristof underscores the irony of prioritizing expensive ambulance units over the relatively minimal cost of fuel that could save lives:

"We were willing to provide $50,000 each for ambulances and unwilling to provide a few dollars for the gas to enable those ambulances to save lives." [06:00]

Economic and Moral Implications

Kristof argues that the dismantling of USAID not only represents a moral failing but also poses significant national security risks:

1. Soft Power and Global Influence:

   • Originally established by John F. Kennedy to counter Soviet influence, USAID has been a cornerstone of American soft power. Its reduction cedes ground to competitors like China:

     "China is stepping in to win friends and influence around the world." [07:00]

2. Disease Surveillance and Public Health:

   • USAID's role extends beyond aid; it helps prevent global diseases from reaching American shores by treating ailments like Ebola and tuberculosis abroad:

     "We protect Americans not only with aircraft carriers, but also with health surveillance systems and by treating diseases like Ebola and tuberculosis abroad before they can come to the United States." [07:45]

By weakening USAID, the U.S. undermines both its values and its own security interests.

Call to Action and Conclusion

Kristof concludes with a heartfelt plea to policymakers and the American public:

"What I see when I travel in these villages is that we can sure save some really inexpensively and we can have this transformative impact on so many lives for negligible costs with these donated drugs, for example. And now it just feels that there are these folks in Washington who had no idea what they were doing." [08:05]

He urges immediate intervention to repurpose the unused medicines in Sierra Leone and Liberia, emphasizing that the waste resulting from USAID's dismantlement is both financially and morally untenable. The episode serves as a compelling reminder of the tangible human costs borne from policy decisions and the broader implications for America's standing in the world.

Notable Quotes:

• "Under the Trump administration, USAID was dismantled over a weekend by Elon Musk." — Nicholas Kristof [00:46]

• "For every dollar it costs, you leverage $26 in private donations." — Nicholas Kristof [02:35]

• "Do you know the name of the American president who made these decisions?" — Nicholas Kristof [03:22]

• "We were willing to provide $50,000 each for ambulances and unwilling to provide a few dollars for the gas to enable those ambulances to save lives." — Nicholas Kristof [06:00]

• "China is stepping in to win friends and influence around the world." — Nicholas Kristof [07:00]

• "We protect Americans not only with aircraft carriers, but also with health surveillance systems and by treating diseases like Ebola and tuberculosis abroad before they can come to the United States." — Nicholas Kristof [07:45]

This episode of "The Opinions" offers a critical examination of the consequences stemming from the reduction of USAID funding, blending statistical analysis with deeply moving personal narratives to underscore the urgency of reversing these policy decisions.