Devex Pro Insider: ‘Contemptible’ lies about USAID, and UNAIDS calls out Elon Musk

In case you missed it, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio got a bit of a grilling before congressional committees this week. He got a bit of a grilling away from Capitol Hill, too. Former USAID leaders issued searing rebukes of the Trump administration’s mass purge of the agency’s staff and programs, warning of devastating global consequences and branding the rationale behind the cuts a campaign of lies. During a Foreign Policy for America dinner last week, Samantha Power, who led the U.S. agency for International Development under the Biden administration, recalled how fired USAID staff were kicked out of their headquarters in Washington, D.C., in February: “I saw many tears that day … as principled public servants who had dedicated their lives to helping the world's most vulnerable were given 15 minutes in assigned time slots to pack up their desks as police stood ready to escort them out.” She painted a stark contrast between the agency’s quiet, essential work and the attacks it has faced — often by Elon Musk and Rubio himself: “There was not a hard problem on this earth that USAID team members weren't working day and night to try to figure out how to solve,” from pandemic preparedness and drought resilience to supporting independent media and reducing U.S. reliance on Chinese supply chains. “The people who have dismantled USAID and slandered its workforce have lied,” Power said. “Every word they have said about USAID is a lie.” Breaking bread with Power at the dinner was Andrew Natsios, a former USAID administrator under George W. Bush. He called the attacks on civil servants “a contemptible lie” and warned that the damage would ripple across the global aid system. “We procured aid … for the U.N. system and the Global Fund … You shut the system down. It just didn’t shut our system down. It shut their systems down, too.” The bluntest assessment may have come from Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat from New Hampshire, who challenged Rubio during his hearing on Tuesday: “Four months ago, Mr. Secretary, you said we were going to be safer, stronger, and more prosperous … I don’t feel safer … I don’t feel more prosperous … and … I don’t feel more secure.” UNAIDS wants to help Musk 'fix it' Billionaire budget-slasher Elon Musk was also in the hot seat last week. In a tense and at times awkward interview at the Qatar Economic Forum, Bloomberg’s Mishal Husain pressed him about defunding USAID. Musk, who has overseen sweeping cuts to the U.S. foreign aid agency under the Department of Government Efficiency, was defiant: “The parts of USAID that were found to be even slightly useful were transferred to the State Department,” Musk said. Husain pointedly raised the stakes: UNAIDS has estimated that the discontinuation of the PEPFAR HIV/AIDS initiative could result in 4 million additional AIDS-related deaths by 2029. “Which ones aren’t being funded? I’ll fix it right now,” Musk shot back. The spontaneous pledge caught many off guard — including UNAIDS. In a subsequent statement, the agency said it was “encouraged” by Musk’s comments and stands ready to work with him, noting the urgent need to resume funding for prevention and treatment services that have stalled worldwide. A limited waiver from the Trump administration has allowed some testing and treatment to continue, but most prevention efforts — especially those not focused on pregnant or breastfeeding women — remain suspended. Coming up: This week’s Devex Pro event lineup includes three back-to-back briefings. On Tuesday, experts discuss how philanthropic networks are shaping funding priorities. On Wednesday, we confront development's new financial reality. And on Thursday, Co-Impact will unpack its approach to localization in Africa and more. Also in today’s edition: Kanbar Hossein-Bor’s historic achievement, a new U.S. summit with African leaders, and Democrats outline strategy on foreign aid. Bits and pieces Breaking the mold. When Kanbar Hossein-Bor told his mother he was applying to the U.K. Foreign Office, she feared “he might not be British enough.” Two decades later, that fear was firmly put to rest — he’s just been appointed the U.K.’s new high commissioner to Fiji, becoming the first refugee to achieve the rank. Hossein-Bor fled Iran in 1987 at age 6, not speaking a word of English. Now 44, he hopes his story can “challenge the stereotype of what it means to be British” and show how refugees do give back. “My career is a sense of me giving back,” he told The Guardian newspaper. From grammar school to Cambridge to Baghdad during the U.S. surge, he’s walked a long path — one shaped by both the British Empire’s history and his Balochi roots. “I’m an instrument of change,” he said. “You just need to look at our foreign secretary and the former prime minister, to name but a few.” Trade first. The Trump administration is planning a new summit with African leaders this year, aiming to reset ties with the continent. “'Trade, not aid' ... is now truly our policy for Africa,” said Troy Fitrell, the State Department’s top official for African affairs, during a recent Chamber of Commerce event in Abidjan. Fitrell said the U.S. will focus on “commerce, migration, and peace” — with ambassadors now evaluated on how well they promote American business. No date yet for the summit, but it’s a move many in D.C. have been pushing for since Trump’s return. My colleague Ayenat Mersie has a deeper analysis of the implications of “trade, not aid” on Africa, exclusively for Pro members. Words under watch. A newly issued State Department style guide is telling employees to steer clear of terms such as “they/them,” “LGBT,” “diversity,” and even “global south.” The internal manual, reviewed by Semafor, discourages gendered language and places restrictions on using words such as “bias,” “equity,” and “marginalized,” allowing them only in tightly defined situations. Staff are also directed to use “gay and lesbian” instead of the broader term “LGBTQI+.” The Trump administration is rolling out a wider effort across agencies to curb inclusive terminology — including barring the use of pronouns in email footers and media statements. Earlier this year, USAID staff were ordered to remove pronouns from email signatures. Streaming Sesame. News for “Sesame Street” fans, young and old! A new public-private partnership means new seasons and classic episodes are heading to Netflix worldwide — and airing on the same day as PBS stations and PBS KIDS platforms in the U.S. “This unique public-private partnership will enable Sesame Workshop to bring our research-based curriculum to young children around the world ... while ensuring children in communities across the U.S. continue to have free access on public television,” said Sherrie Rollins Westin, president and CEO of the Sesame Workshop, from her LinkedIn account. Cleaning up. Surge for Water and Soapbox just hit a major milestone: Over 1 million bars of soap produced and distributed to communities in Uganda and Haiti since 2021. But it’s not just about soap. This women-led, grassroots partnership has also trained more than 6,000 in soap-making, educated over 11,000 students, and helped launch 50 formal soap businesses — all while centering on local leadership and gender equity. “This partnership goes far beyond soap,” said Surge for Water founder Shilpa Alva. “It’s about restoring health, enabling education, and driving economic empowerment.” Soapbox CEO David Simnick added: “We believe in solutions that stay rooted in community.” With a renewed commitment for 2025, another 500,000 or so bars are on the way — plus more training, jobs, and lasting impact. Beans, biochar, bathrooms. Spotted in London this week: chickpeas, climate tech, and … a toilet? The Gates Foundation is making its debut at the Chelsea Flower Show with its Garden of the Future, featuring drought-tolerant crops like pigeon pea and millet, as well as some fancy beans that the foundation is trying to make more resistant to heat, drought, and disease. Also on display is a toilet (yes, a toilet) that converts household-generated wastewater into clean, non-drinkable water for irrigation and biochar for garden use. Limited but active. At the Foreign Policy for America Leadership Summit last week, top Democrats on the House Foreign Affairs Committee were asked a question many in global development are likely wondering: What more can they do? Rep. Sara Jacobs, a Democrat from California, called it a fair question but noted her party’s tools are limited. “We just don’t have that opportunity now because we are the minority in the House,” she said, referring to powers such as issuing subpoenas or calling hearings. But that doesn’t mean Dems are sitting on their hands. She laid out a four-part strategy on foreign aid: • Oversight: Democrats will visit former USAID offices and travel abroad to assess the impact of aid cuts. • Legislation: Jacobs introduced a bill to protect USAID, saying it might have had bipartisan support in December, but now not a single Republican will work with them. • Litigation: While Congress can’t sue, lawmakers are supporting lawsuits via amicus briefs. Rep. Joaquin Castro said Democrats formed a team early on to aid plaintiffs and ask questions at hearings “that can produce answers that the folks who are litigating can then use in court.” • Public pressure: “I know everyone wants us to do more. We want to do more,” said Jacobs. “But … what this administration responds to is things they think are popular and unpopular.” She urged the public to share stories and build visible support for aid. Jacobs added that Democrats are also thinking about how to reframe foreign assistance around clear, tangible results the public can get behind. ✉️ Do you have insights into any of this week’s bits and pieces? Let me know by replying to this email. Moving on Former USAID Administrator Samantha Power is heading back to Harvard. On June 1, she’ll rejoin the Harvard Kennedy School as the Anna Lindh professor of the practice of global leadership and public policy, and Harvard Law School as the William D. Zabel ’61 professor of practice in human rights. “I am thrilled to be returning to Harvard,” Power said in a release. “There has never been a more important time to devise ideas for bolstering democratic institutions and the rule of law.” Last October, Open Philanthropy launched a $40 million-plus partnership with the Livelihood Impact Fund to spur growth in low- and middle-income countries. Now they’ve tapped Justin Sandefur, a senior fellow at the Center for Global Development, to lead the effort. Sandefur’s research helped shape the program, and Open Philanthropy said he brings “curiosity, pragmatism, and rigor.” He’ll steer a wide-ranging strategy, from advising reform-minded governments to pushing for market access and better debt deals. Did we miss one? Is there a change on the horizon? Let us know at devexpro@devex.com. Up next My colleague Ayenat Mersie will be at the African Development Bank annual meetings in Abidjan next week, from May 26-30. The theme is “Making Africa’s Capital Work Better for Africa’s Development,” and the headline event will be the presidential election on May 29. Stay tuned for her coverage! Jobs of the week Your Devex Pro subscription includes access to the world’s largest global development job board. Here are some of the latest high-level opportunities: • Employee Experience Senior Specialist, Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean. • Senior Change Management Specialist, Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean. • Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist, Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean. Apply now, or take a look at more high-level opportunities.