They Said Elon Musk USAID Cuts Would Kill Millions, Now We Know the Truth

Dave Rubin used a short segment to argue that criticism of Elon Musk and the "Doge" effort for cutting USAID is misleading, mixing commentary, social-media posts and selected spending examples. He opened by mocking actor Richard Gere before airing a clip of Gere describing USAID as a “pure” American programme that supported health, education and women’s issues, and criticising Donald Trump for cancelling it.

Rubin disputed Gere’s characterisation, alleging USAID lacked proper accounting and was implicated in “money laundering” and theft—claims he did not substantiate in the clip. He then listed several purported USAID-funded projects, including French pastry classes for Iraqi women, “Sesame Street in Iraq”, and arts projects described as transgender-themed in Colombia and Peru.

Turning to claims that USAID cuts would lead to mass deaths, Rubin cited an X post asserting preliminary 2025 mortality data in several African countries shows “no detectable” increase after funding was cut; Musk’s reply, read aloud by Rubin, claimed deaths decreased because USAID could no longer “push for violent revolution to install leftist regimes”. Rubin also highlighted posts suggesting several Latin American countries have moved “far right” since USAID was defunded and speculated about Brazil’s political climate ahead of an October presidential election.

He closed by citing a “Vote hub” finance update claiming the RNC has $124m cash on hand with no debt while the DNC has $14.4m cash and $17.5m debt, and then suggested—without evidence—that this could indicate a money-laundering operation tied to USAID’s closure.

• Rubin aired a clip of Richard Gere calling USAID a “pure” American aid programme and condemning its cancellation.
• Rubin alleged USAID functioned as an unaccountable “giveaway” involving theft and “money laundering”, without offering evidence in the segment.
• He listed purported USAID expenditures including pastry classes in Iraq and entertainment/arts projects in Iraq, Colombia and Peru.
• Rubin cited an X post claiming early 2025 mortality data from several African countries shows no increase after USAID funding cuts; Musk’s reply claimed deaths fell because USAID could not foment “violent revolution”.
• He referenced social posts asserting multiple Latin American elections shifted “far right” after USAID was defunded and discussed Brazil’s next presidential election.
• Rubin cited figures claiming the RNC holds $124m cash with no debt while the DNC has $14.4m cash and $17.5m debt, then endorsed an unsupported inference linking Democrats’ finances to USAID shutdown.