Tensions escalated between the White House and actor Richard Gere after he criticized the Trump administration’s decision to dismantle the USAID program. This initiative had funneled billions of dollars from American taxpayers into supporting various programs and political figures abroad, prompting heated responses from both sides.
Fresh from promoting the second season of the Paramount+ spy thriller, The Agency, Gere found himself in the headlines not just for his show, but for launching a verbal assault on former President Trump during conversations with the Associated Press. Rather than focusing on his series, the actor seized opportunities in interviews to critique Trump’s policies.
True to form, Gere used his AP interview platform to sharply criticize Trump’s stance on immigration, his policies regarding Israel, and notably, the decision to slash USAID funding.
Expressing his dismay over the cutbacks to USAID, Gere described the program as one of America’s purest humanitarian efforts. “USAID was a benevolent act for the needy,” he remarked with evident frustration. “Trump ended it abruptly. It’s madness. He probably doesn’t even comprehend what USAID represents, surrounded as he is by individuals who share his ignorance.”
Unwilling to let Gere’s comments go unchecked, the White House responded decisively. Using the official Rapid Response account on X, the administration launched a counter-attack, challenging Gere’s assertions.
“What will the world do without millions for Guatemalan sex changes or DEI in Serbia? Because that’s the type of bullshit USAID was funding,” the X account asked.
“It was a slush fund for Radical Left activists to enrich themselves and undermine America’s interests.”
Indeed, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed this issue head on. Rubio pointed out that only a tiny fraction of the money Americans pumped into USAID went to help needy people. In May of last year, Rubio revealed that only a mere 12 cents of every USAID dollar actually helped anyone in need. The rest went to administrators and left-wing programs and politicians and activists in foreign countries without helping anyone in need.
“At USAID, 12 cents of every dollar was reaching the recipient. That means that in order for us to get aid to somebody, we had to spend all this other money supporting this foreign aid industrial complex,” Rubio said.
“We’re going to find more efficient ways to deliver aid to people directly. It’s going to be directed by our regional bureaus. It’s going to sponsor programs that make a difference. And it’s going to be part of a holistic approach to our foreign policy.”
See Gere’s AP interview below:
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