Current Affairs

The Heinous Evil of Cutting USAID

May 20, 2026·34 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

🌹 Use the code "15OFF" for a discount on Current Affairs: https://www.currentaffairs.org/membership Nicholas Enrich worked at USAID for more than 12 years, including in its Bureau for Global Health and Bureau for Management. He joins Current Affairs to discuss his new book, Into the Wood Chipper, a whistleblower account of how the Trump administration and Elon Musk’s DOGE allies shredded one of the most important humanitarian agencies in the U.S. government. 🏥 Buy Nicholas's Book: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Into-the-Wood-Chipper/Nicholas-Enrich/9781668226957 0:00-3:02 Inside USAID’s “Wood Chipper” 3:02-7:02 What USAID Actually Did 7:02-12:23 How the Right Turned USAID Into a Conspiracy Theory 12:23-14:37 The Trump Administration’s Lies About “Life-Saving” Aid 14:37-20:33 The Human Cost of Destroying USAID 20:33-34:20 How This Catastrophe Could Have Been Avoided 🦩Subscribe to Current Affairs: https://www.currentaffairs.org/membership 🦩 Merch: https://shop.currentaffairs.org/

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