Bono Says USAID Cuts Kill 300,000, Joe Rogan and Elon Musk Call Him Out [WATCH]

On a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, U2 frontman Bono criticized recent cuts to U.S. foreign aid programs, claiming the impact has already resulted in mass death and humanitarian disruption.

His claims, which centered on the Trump-era DOGE reforms to USAID, were immediately met with skepticism by host Joe Rogan, who pointed to the lack of accountability and oversight in the existing aid structure.

Bono referenced a recent report suggesting that “300,000 people have already died from just this cutoff,” alleging that global food aid disruptions were the result of abrupt program halts.

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“There’s food rotting in boats, in warehouses,” he said, describing delays in aid shipments reportedly stuck in places like Djibouti, South Africa, Dubai, and Houston.

According to Bono, “the people who know the codes… are fired. They’re gone.”

He cited a study led by Brooke Nichols at Boston University as the source for the claim.

However, Bono conceded mid-conversation that the report’s conclusions were “not proven,” yet still presented the number as a legitimate estimate based on “surveillance.”

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A review of the Boston University research confirms that the study relies not on documented death records, but rather on predictive modeling—an academic tool that forecasts potential outcomes based on a range of assumptions and variables.

The model attempts to estimate food insecurity-linked mortality following changes to USAID funding, but does not provide direct evidence for the figure Bono used.

Nichols, the lead author of the study, has been a vocal advocate of expanded aid programs and has frequently expressed support for Democratic lawmakers on her public X account, including posts supporting Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Rogan challenged Bono’s assertions during the exchange, acknowledging that while many global organizations provide vital assistance, the broader aid infrastructure has serious issues with transparency and misuse of funds.

“For sure, there have been a lot of organizations that do tremendous good all throughout the world,” Rogan said.

“Also, for sure, it was a money-laundering operation. For sure, there was no oversight. For sure, billions of dollars are missing—in fact, trillions—that are unaccounted for.”

Rogan emphasized the lack of financial documentation behind large-scale government aid disbursements.

“They don’t even know where [the money] went, because there’s no receipts,” he said.

Quoting Elon Musk, Rogan added, “If any of this was done by a public company, the company would be delisted and the executives would be in prison. But in the United States, this is standard.”

He also referenced the final days of the Biden administration, alleging that $93 billion in Department of Energy loans were distributed over 73 days with no meaningful accountability.

“And there’s no oversight. No receipts,” Rogan said.

BONO: “300,000 people have already died from this hard cut of USAID”

ROGAN: “It was a money laundering operation … Billions of dollars are missing … @elonmusk said if any of this was done by a public company, the company would be delisted and the executives would be in prison” pic.twitter.com/zLOLD7DK9f

— Chief Nerd (@TheChiefNerd) May 31, 2025

The funding changes Bono referenced stem from DOGE, a reform initiative aimed at curbing systemic waste and abuse in U.S. foreign aid programs.

Supporters of the cuts argue that decades of unchecked spending have enabled massive inefficiencies and corruption, while diverting funds from effective humanitarian efforts.

The DOGE initiative is designed to restructure how USAID dollars are spent, reduce administrative bloat, and ensure resources are directed to high-impact, verifiable programs.

While the reforms have faced pushback from international aid groups and left-leaning advocates, proponents maintain the changes are necessary to restore accountability and public trust.

Mike Benz and Elon Musk had something to say about Bono’s claims:

He’s such a liar/idiot ‍

Zero people have died!

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 31, 2025

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