
ABC Information’ Linsey Davis spoke to Jeremy Konyndyk, head of state of Refugees International and a previous lead authorities at the united state Firm for International Advancement, concerning Head of state Donald Trump’s current initiatives to take apart USAID, which offers essential international help worldwide.
The discussion followed reps from the Division of Federal government Effectiveness last weekend break penetrated USAID workplaces in Washington, D.C.– and after its employees obtained an over night e-mail on Sunday that the head office would certainly be shut the following early morning, according to a duplicate gotten by ABC Information.
It additionally complied with remarks from Elon Musk, that is leading DOGE, that he remained in the procedure of “closing down” USAID, and the Trump management assigning Assistant of State Marco Rubio as the acting head of USAID on Monday.
In their conversation, Konyndyk highlighted the intensity of the scenario at USAID and its possible worldwide repercussions.

Jeremy Konyndyk, head of state of Refugees International and a previous lead authorities at the united state Firm for International Advancement for COVID-19, spoke with ABC Information’ Linsey Davis concerning Head of state Donald Trump’s efforts to take apart USAID on Feb. 3, 2025.
ABC Information
Locate passages from the meeting, which broadcast on “ABC Information Live Prime With Linsey Davis” on Monday evening, listed below:
ABC INFORMATION: Joining us currently for even more is the head of state of Refugees International and previous lead authorities at USAID for COVID-19, Jeremy Konyndyk. Thanks a lot for your time, sir. You additionally were the supervisor of USAID’s Workplace of Foreign Calamity Help under Head Of State [Barack] Obama. A previous USAID staff member informed ABC Information individuals are mosting likely to pass away due to exactly how they’re doing this. Your reaction to what lots of are calling the “aggressive requisition” of USAID?
KONYNDYK: I assume that’s a precise means to identify it. USAID daily conserve lives around the globe in behalf of the American individuals, whether that remains in catastrophe areas, releasing groups after quakes to draw individuals from the debris. Battling scarcity today in Sudan, supplying immediate treatment. And it’s the ceasefire in Gaza and additionally longer-term resolve the Global Health And Wellness Bureau. Points like maintaining 20 million individuals that have HIV on antiretroviral medications to maintain their infection subdued so they can live their lives. These are the essential points that USAID does throughout the globe, daily. Every one of those are currently severely interrupted. Every one of those are currently in jeopardy.
ABC INFORMATION: If you can obtain a message straight to Elon Musk tonight. What would certainly you inform him?
KONYNDYK: I would certainly inform him: Look past the stereotypes and the caricatures that you have actually relatively developed concerning what USAID is and really talk with individuals functioning there. I offered because company two times. Several of the photos that you’re seeing on the display of catastrophe alleviation, those are the kind of points that I really led and supervise. Every one of that is offline today. Individuals [there], due to the fact that they are experts, they care deeply concerning the objective. Fairfax Region Browse and Rescue– these are individuals that head out after a quake and conserve lives. That is why the team at USAID does what they do. That is why they exist. They are. They simply intend to do their work. They intend to be sustained. And it is truly heartbreaking and truthfully infuriating to see the type of false information, disinformation, that is currently gushing online concerning this company– none of which births similarity to the truth that I recognize and have actually experienced myself.
ABC INFORMATION: Currently, we may be right here for some time if you provided off all the vital job USAID has actually done around the globe: 25 million lives conserved from HIV, defeating Ebola, increasing youngster proficiency. What are you listening to tonight from previous coworkers that made aiding others, with the support of our federal government, their life’s job?
KONYNDYK: Well, they feel they really feel over used. They really feel betrayed. There are team that are released on catastrophe and altruistic reactions around the globe in behalf of the united state federal government, that tonite– in the last evening without any prelude, no caution and no interaction– were begun their e-mail, started their united state federal government computer system systems. They do not recognize if they are still public servant. They are currently in catastrophe areas and situation areas, not sure whether they are still also under consular office defense. It’s exceptionally, exceptionally harmful and it is exceptionally ill-mannered to individuals that have actually entered into harmful areas to offer their nation.
ABC INFORMATION: Discuss the soft power America has actually had the ability to possess with USAID.
KONYNDYK: You discussed earlier 25 million lives conserved that would certainly have been shed to HIV. That’s an extraordinary advantage to the globe. It’s an extraordinary tradition of the George Shrub management, which which initially released that program called the PEPFAR program: the Head of state’s Emergency situation Prepare for Aids Alleviation. However it’s additionally points like freedom programs aiding aiding Ukraine throughout the battle to maintain their economic situation going, to be able to maintain their farming field going, supplying catastrophe alleviation to neighborhoods that have actually been flopped by by the Russian intrusion. It is sustaining individuals that are being you that have actually been trafficked, individuals that have actually been pushed into human trafficking. It is civils rights job, sustaining civils rights protectors, sustaining freedom lobbyists. You recognize, it truly runs the range of every little thing from wellness and catastrophe alleviation to long-lasting financial growth. It’s additionally a truly essential manner in which the united state simply appears worldwide, vis-Ã -vis a few of our geopolitical opponents. So among things that I’m extremely stressed concerning is the methods which opponents of the USA will certainly benefit from the vacuum cleaner left if USAID is drawn from the area. Simply last evening, Dmitri Medvedev, the previous head of state of Russia, still extremely near to [current Russian President Vladimir] Putin, was applauding on Elon Musk on [X.com] for removing USAID. American political leaders and especially a few of the Republican participants of Congress that have been rather quiet should ask themselves: Why does Dmitry Medvedev assume it’s an advantage for Russia if USAID is gone?
ABC INFORMATION: What’s the response?
KONYNDYK: Well, due to the fact that he recognizes that what USAID does is leading American worths around the globe and reveal a great face– a favorable face of American kindness, assistance and uniformity to nations around the globe. That’s extremely tough for Russia to take on. That’s extremely tough for China to take on. And it gets rid of among the major critical benefits that the united state has in our diplomacy, if we draw back the favorable uniformity and assistance that USAID offers in a lot of nations.
ABC INFORMATION: Why do you assume the Trump management is particularly targeting USAID, its $50 billion budget plan? Nevertheless, is is truly a little portion of the total federal government expenses.
KONYNDYK: Well, it is definitely not concerning conserving cash. The USAID budget plan is much less than 1% of the government budget plan. That is a rounding mistake about the dimension of our deficiency. It’s much much less than the tax obligation cuts that Trump came on his initial term. I presume what it is, is it is a soft target. They think few individuals are mosting likely to defend international help. It’s a very easy point to caricature and demonize. And, you recognize, the playbook that they are running right here at USAID, which is a playbook whereby an unelected civilian with cover from the head of state can enter and simply damage an independent government company with no type of legislative oversight, with no type of restrictions from the legislation. That is a truly, truly harmful playbook. And I assume they’re thinking that if they can escape it at USAID, they can export that version somewhere else.
ABC INFORMATION: I comprehend Refugees International does not obtain cash straight from USAID, yet if this financing time out proceeds, is it also feasible for companies like your own to to grab the slack?
KONYNDYK: Well, I assume this is if this moves forward, it truly is an extinction-level occasion for the worldwide help field in the USA– and truly for much of the worldwide alleviation and growth field around the globe. The united state is the biggest solitary growth benefactor, the biggest solitary altruistic benefactor. And if that vanishes, there’s no other way that can fill up that void. However it will certainly additionally undercut the spending plans of much of the biggest help companies and [United Nations] companies around the globe. So, you recognize, it endangers truly the collapse not simply of what USAID does, yet of this substantial environment of alleviation and growth companies that are doing excellent around the globe daily.
ABC INFORMATION: Jeremy Konyndyk, we thanks a lot for your time.
KONYNDYK: Thanks.
Maria Olloqui and Luca Balbo added to this record.