ABC Information’ Linsey Davis spoke with Jeremy Konyndyk, president of Refugees Worldwide and a former lead official on the U.S. Company for Worldwide Growth, about President Donald Trump’s latest efforts to dismantle USAID, which supplies vital overseas help worldwide.
The dialog got here after representatives from the Division of Authorities Effectivity final weekend infiltrated USAID workplaces in Washington, D.C. — and after its staff obtained an in a single day e mail on Sunday that the headquarters can be closed the subsequent morning, based on a duplicate obtained by ABC Information.
It additionally adopted feedback from Elon Musk, who’s main DOGE, that he was within the strategy of “shutting down” USAID, and the Trump administration appointing Secretary of State Marco Rubio because the performing head of USAID on Monday.
Of their dialogue, Konyndyk highlighted the severity of the scenario at USAID and its potential international penalties.
Jeremy Konyndyk, president of Refugees Worldwide and a former lead official on the U.S. Company for Worldwide Growth for COVID-19, spoke to ABC Information’ Linsey Davis about President Donald Trump’s makes an attempt to dismantle USAID on Feb. 3, 2025.
ABC Information
Discover excerpts from the interview, which aired on “ABC Information Dwell Prime With Linsey Davis” on Monday night time, beneath:
ABC NEWS: Becoming a member of us now for extra is the president of Refugees Worldwide and former lead official at USAID for COVID-19, Jeremy Konyndyk. Thanks a lot to your time, sir. You additionally had been the director of USAID’s Workplace of Overseas Catastrophe Help underneath President [Barack] Obama. A former USAID worker informed ABC Information persons are going to die due to how they’re doing this. Your response to what many are calling the “hostile takeover” of USAID?
KONYNDYK: I believe that is an correct approach to characterize it. USAID day by day save lives all over the world on behalf of the American folks, whether or not that’s in catastrophe zones, deploying groups after earthquakes to drag folks from the rubble. Combating famine proper now in Sudan, offering pressing medical care. And it is the ceasefire in Gaza and likewise longer-term work by the World Well being Bureau. Issues like preserving 20 million individuals who have HIV on antiretroviral medication to maintain their an infection suppressed to allow them to dwell their lives. These are the vital issues that USAID does all all over the world, day by day. All of these are actually badly disrupted. All of these are actually in danger.
ABC NEWS: If you happen to might get a message on to Elon Musk tonight. What would you inform him?
KONYNDYK: I might inform him: Look previous the stereotypes and the caricatures that you’ve got seemingly created about what USAID is and truly discuss to the folks working there. I served in that company twice. Among the photos that you simply’re seeing on the display of catastrophe reduction, these are the types of issues that I really led and oversaw. All of that’s offline proper now. The folks [there], as a result of they’re professionals, they care deeply concerning the mission. Fairfax County Search and Rescue — these are the individuals who exit after an earthquake and save lives. That’s the reason the workers at USAID does what they do. That’s the reason they’re there. They’re. They only need to do their jobs. They need to be supported. And it’s actually heartbreaking and admittedly enraging to see the sort of misinformation, disinformation, that’s now spewing on the Web about this company — none of which bears resemblance to the truth that I do know and have skilled myself.
ABC NEWS: Now, we may be right here for some time when you listed off all of the essential work USAID has completed all over the world: 25 million lives saved from HIV, beating Ebola, increasing youngster literacy. What are you listening to tonight from former colleagues who made serving to others, with the backing of our authorities, their life’s work?
KONYNDYK: Nicely, they really feel they really feel abused. They really feel betrayed. There are workers who’re deployed on catastrophe and humanitarian responses all over the world on behalf of the U.S. authorities, who tonight — within the final night time with no preamble, no warning and no communication — had been kicked off their e mail, kicked off their U.S. authorities pc methods. They do not know if they’re nonetheless authorities workers. They’re now in catastrophe zones and disaster zones, uncertain whether or not they’re nonetheless even underneath embassy safety. It is extremely, extremely harmful and it’s extremely disrespectful to individuals who have gone into harmful locations to serve their nation.
ABC NEWS: Discuss concerning the mushy energy America has been in a position to wield by USAID.
KONYNDYK: You talked about earlier 25 million lives saved that might have been misplaced to HIV. That is an unbelievable profit to the world. It is an unbelievable legacy of the George Bush administration, which which first launched that program referred to as the PEPFAR program: the President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Aid. But it surely’s additionally issues like democracy packages serving to serving to Ukraine in the course of the conflict to maintain their economic system going, to have the ability to hold their agricultural sector going, offering catastrophe reduction to communities which were bombed by by the Russian invasion. It’s supporting people who find themselves being you who’ve been trafficked, individuals who have been compelled into human trafficking. It’s human rights work, supporting human rights defenders, supporting democracy activists. You realize, it actually runs the gamut of all the pieces from well being and catastrophe reduction to long-term financial growth. It is also a extremely vital approach that the U.S. simply reveals up on the earth, vis-à-vis a few of our geopolitical rivals. So one of many issues that I am very apprehensive about is the methods during which rivals of the USA will make the most of the vacuum left if USAID is pulled from the sector. Simply final night time, Dmitri Medvedev, the previous president of Russia, nonetheless very near [current Russian President Vladimir] Putin, was cheering on Elon Musk on [X.com] for taking down USAID. American politicians and significantly a number of the Republican members of Congress who’ve been fairly silent ought to ask themselves: Why does Dmitry Medvedev assume it is a good factor for Russia if USAID is gone?
ABC NEWS: What is the reply?
KONYNDYK: Nicely, as a result of he is aware of that what USAID does is advance American values all over the world and present a great face — a constructive face of American generosity, assist and solidarity to nations all over the world. That is very laborious for Russia to compete with. That is very laborious for China to compete with. And it removes one of many most important strategic benefits that the U.S. has in our overseas coverage, if we pull again the constructive solidarity and assist that USAID supplies in so many nations.
ABC NEWS: Why do you assume the Trump administration is particularly focusing on USAID, its $50 billion finances? In spite of everything, is can be a small fraction of the general authorities expenditures.
KONYNDYK: Nicely, it’s actually not about saving cash. The USAID finances is lower than 1% of the federal finances. That could be a rounding error relative to the dimensions of our deficit. It’s miles lower than the tax cuts that Trump handed in his first time period. I think what it’s, is it’s a mushy goal. They assume not too many individuals are going to face up for overseas assist. It is a simple factor to caricature and demonize. And, , the playbook that they’re working right here at USAID, which is a playbook by which an unelected non-public citizen with cowl from the president can go in and simply destroy an unbiased federal company with none form of congressional oversight, with none form of restraints from the legislation. That could be a actually, actually harmful playbook. And I believe they’re assuming that if they will get away with it at USAID, they will export that mannequin elsewhere.
ABC NEWS: I perceive Refugees Worldwide doesn’t obtain cash straight from USAID, but when this funding pause continues, is it even potential for organizations like yours to to select up the slack?
KONYNDYK: Nicely, I believe that is if this goes ahead, it truly is an extinction-level occasion for the worldwide assist sector in the USA — and actually for a lot of the worldwide reduction and growth sector all over the world. The U.S. is the most important single growth donor, the most important single humanitarian donor. And if that goes away, there is no approach that others can fill that hole. However it should additionally destabilize the budgets of most of the largest assist organizations and [United Nations] organizations all over the world. So, , it threatens actually the collapse not simply of what USAID does, however of this large ecosystem of reduction and growth organizations which are doing good all over the world day by day.
ABC NEWS: Jeremy Konyndyk, we thanks a lot to your time.
KONYNDYK: Thanks.
Maria Olloqui and Luca Balbo contributed to this report.
