Trump officials thought USAID ‘just did abortions’ before gutting agency, new book claims

NewsWorldAmericasUS politicsTrump officials thought USAID ‘just did abortions’ before gutting agency, new book claimsGlobal health experts asked for ‘Barney-style’ slides and maps inspired by blockbuster movies to justify their vital work in tackling infectious diseases around the worldJoe Sommerlad Tuesday 14 April 2026 16:55 BSTBookmarkCommentsGo to commentsBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarksClose popover{"translations":{"comments":"Go to comments","share":"Share","copyLink":"Copy link","bookmark":"Bookmark","removeBookmark":"Remove bookmark"},"showComments":true,"showBookmark":true,"articleId":"b2957508","articleMeta":{"url":"https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-administration-usaid-whistleblower-b2957508.html","title":"Trump officials thought USAID ‘just did abortions’ before gutting agency"}}CloseElon Musk claimed USAID was beyond repair in justifying closure of $50 billion agencySign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inboxGet our free Inside Washington emailGet our free Inside Washington emailEmail*SIGN UPI would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice{"className":"sc-1ge0fwe-0","newsletterData":{"regSourceNewsletter":"IND_INSIDE_WASHINGTON","regTitle":"Inside Washington","subscriptionGroup":"inside_washington","subscriptionGroupId":"af764e04-87eb-45e6-a84b-a7455ba70a1e","type":"inside_washington","pathPrefix":"/news/world/americas/us-politics","associatedAuthors":["Eric Garcia","John Bowden"],"title":"Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox","mobileTitle":"Get our free Inside Washington email","imageSrc":"https://static.independent.co.uk/static-assets/images/newsletters/insideWashington1_1.png","label":"I would like to receive morning headlines Monday - Friday plus breaking news alerts by email","newsletterKey":"receiveInsideWashingtonNews","regSou...