Bill Gates says if U.S. foreign aid spending doesnโt get back on track soon, millions of lives are at risk. He added it could also present an economic problem as aid presents a gateway for diplomatic and economic conversations with foreign nations.
While the end result of Elon Muskโs cost-cutting crusade through government remains to be seen, Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates has warned millions of people could suffer in the meantime.
The philanthropist warned that if aid funding out of the worldโs largest economy continues to dwindle, millions of lives will be on the line, and he hopes that some of the Department of Government Efficiencyโs (DOGE) measures will be rolled back.
Speaking to PBS in an interview released yesterday, Gates was asked about the 180-degree turnaround between action being taken by the White House and a conversation the billionaire tech titan previously had with Trump.
Earlier this month, Gates said that President Trump seemed open to hearing his thoughts on continued foreign aid.
But with Musk and President Trump halting USAIDโs workโbe it placing staff on leave, freezing spending, or reducing its headcount to a mere 300 workers from thousandsโthat conversation seems to have been forgotten.
โIโm hopeful that some significant portion of that can be reversed and preserved,โ Gates said. โElon, of all the elimination heโs done, 99% of it is these employees at the USAID who work overseas in very tough circumstances and they allow the U.S., in addition to our military power, get out there and help out with famine and HIV medicines.โ
Gates also spoke specifically about PEPFARโthe Presidentโs Emergency Plan for AIDS Reliefโwhich so far has saved more than 26 million lives through HIV and AIDS prevention courtesy of $110 billion in funding since its inception more than 20 years ago.
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