Bill Gates urges Trump to change stance on USAID closure
2025-02-06 11:35:21
TiranaPost
Billionaire and philanthropist Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, said he met with President Donald Trump at the White House on Wednesday to discuss the importance of preserving international assistance provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). In an interview with NBC's TODAY, Gates said he was committed to ensuring that foreign aid, which is important to many countries, remains on the Trump administration's agenda.
"I went to the White House to make sure we prioritize those initiatives that are values-based," Gates said.
He added that he had a brief meeting with Trump and a more in-depth discussion with Susie Wiles, the President's chief of staff.
Gates, who founded the Gates Foundation in 2000, emphasized the importance of USAID, calling it an unprecedented agency in its efforts for global development. He called USAID “the best in the world” among international development agencies.
Despite criticism of the Trump administration, which has called for major reforms and taken action to reduce USAID spending, Gates stressed that the expertise and experience the agency has on the ground are difficult to replicate.
Regarding comments by Elon Musk, who has harshly criticized USAID, Gates said that he has not had any meetings with him and expressed doubts about Musk's stance on the issue.
"I don't know how open-minded he is," Gates added, noting that, however, he has a deep admiration for the innovations Musk has brought with Tesla and SpaceX.
