Transcript: Trump’s Angry USAID Rant Undercut by Surprise Rubio Video

Sargent: That actually gets at what the real core difference is between Rubio on one hand, and Trump and Musk on the other. Trump and Musk have something different in mind, especially Musk, I think. We’re already seeing that strongmen, dictators, and authoritarian rulers around the world are cheering Musk’s attack on USAID. Leaders in Russia, Hungary, and El Salvador are very happy because USAID also funds pro-democracy, pro–human rights organizations. But the thing is, Jeremy, Musk and Trump are aligned with those dictators and authoritarians. They share the same vision for the future global order. Can you talk about what that global vision really is? What it is that Musk, Trump, and those dictators want for the world? And why ending or badly hobbling USAID would help achieve that order, that new order?

Konyndyk: Yes. What’s been really striking….so who’s cheerleading this since Musk started doing it? Russia has been cheerleading it. Dmitry Medvedev, the former president of Russia, still very close to Putin, no friend of the U.S., is ecstatic, absolutely ecstatic over this. Iran has been putting out public comments saying this is a great idea, finally, USAID gets called out for what it is. To any Republican on the Hill who is keeping their mouth closed about this, that should be a real tell. And they should take a beat, and they should think about what that means about what Elon is about to do to American power and American influence in the world if USAID goes down.

Russia’s agenda in the world, Iran’s agenda in the world…whatever you think about our relationships with those countries, they’re certainly not, in recent years, pursuing a global vision that’s aligned with freedom, that’s aligned with human rights, and aligned with American strategic interests.