2028 Democrats Must Pledge to Rebuild USAID After Trump-Musk Destruction Campaign

A devastating new account from inside the Trump administration reveals the catastrophic human cost of dismantling one of America's most effective foreign aid agencies—and why any serious 2028 Democratic presidential candidate must commit to rebuilding it.

The Human Cost of DOGE's Destruction

According to Nicholas Enrich, former top global health official at USAID and author of the new book "Into the Wood Chipper," the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development has already cost more than 750,000 lives—most of them children. This staggering death toll represents just the beginning of what Enrich calls "one of the most costly decisions of the Trump administration to date."

The agency that saved 92 million lives over two decades while operating on less than 1% of the federal budget was gutted not because it was ineffective, but to satisfy what Enrich describes as "the ego of a billionaire"—Elon Musk, whose Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led the destruction campaign.

Shocking Ignorance Behind the Cuts

Perhaps most disturbing are Enrich's revelations about the sheer ignorance of those tasked with dismantling USAID. One official "matter-of-factly stated that he had assumed that the only thing the agency did in global health were abortions." Another demanded "Barney-style" slides—referring to the children's TV dinosaur—to understand basic concepts like drug-resistant tuberculosis.

The justifications provided by Trump and Musk were quickly debunked. Trump's claim about "$50 million being sent to Gaza to buy condoms for Hamas" that were "used as a method of making bombs" turned out to reference a family-planning initiative in Gaza Province, Mozambique—not the Middle Eastern territory at all.

Even Trump's Own Staff Opposed It

The decision was so poorly justified that Trump's own chief of staff, Susie Wiles, admitted there was no rationale for it. "I was initially aghast," Wiles said, "because I think anybody that pays attention to government and has ever paid attention to USAID believed, as I did, that they do very good work."

Secretary of State Marco Rubio had previously championed USAID as essential to national security, describing it as a key tool to "counter the Chinese Communist Party's expanding global influence." He noted that American-funded HIV medications created lasting goodwill: "It will not be easy to radicalize people who are alive because the American taxpayer saved their lives."

State Department Integration Failing

With USAID shuttered, its remnants were absorbed into the State Department under Rubio's leadership. But early results suggest this bureaucratic reshuffling is undermining the agency's effectiveness. The new "America First Global Health Strategy" conditions lifesaving aid on quid pro quo deals, including in Zambia where HIV treatment for over 1 million people is now tied to American access to the country's critical minerals.

This transactional approach abandons six decades of learning about successful development work, which requires "lasting partnerships built upon a foundation of goodwill," not extractive bargaining.

The 2028 Litmus Test

Enrich argues that any serious Democratic presidential candidate in 2028 must pledge to rebuild USAID as an independent agency. "This should be an easy promise for anyone seeking office," he writes, noting the agency's overwhelming popularity and proven effectiveness.

The symbolic importance cannot be overstated. As President Obama observed, "To many people around the world, USAID is the United States." The agency's logo—a handshake over "From the American People"—served as a powerful reminder of American generosity and values.

A Difficult but Essential Task

Rebuilding USAID won't be simple. Its expertise has been scattered, contracts terminated, and trust with international partners destroyed. But Enrich insists it can and must be done: "USAID worked well. It was dismantled to satisfy the ego of a billionaire at a cost of the suffering of millions."

As the 2026 midterms approach and Democrats begin positioning for 2028, the question isn't whether USAID should be rebuilt—it's whether candidates have the courage to make this life-or-death commitment a cornerstone of their campaigns. With hundreds of thousands of lives already lost and millions more at risk, there's no time for half-measures or political calculation.