Episode 84 - How USAID Was Dismantled—and What the World Lost - Nicholas Enrich (August 14)

In episode 84 of Going anti-Viral, Nicholas Enrich joins host Dr Michael Saag to discuss his book Into the Wood Chipper: A Whistleblower’s Account of How the Trump Administration Shredded USAID. Mr Enrich is a former civil servant who worked at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under 4 administrations. He served as the Bureau of Global Health director of policy, programs, and planning until January 2025, when he was designated as the USAID acting assistant administrator for global health. On March 2, 2025, he was placed on administrative leave for addressing the Trump administration dismantling of USAID. Mr Enrich provides an overview of the history and work of USAID prior to 2025 including the success of programs like the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and nutrition and food security programs. He then shares his firsthand account of the dismantling of USAID under the Trump administration including the actions by political appointees and staff from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Mr Enrich and Dr Saag explore the impact of the Administration’s policy on global health, development, and international partnerships and discuss the long-term consequences of the dismantling of USAID.

Resources:

Into the Wood Chipper: A Whistleblower’s Account of How the Trump Administration Shredded USAID
https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Into-the-Wood-Chipper/Nicholas-Enrich/9781668226957

Cast of Hair perform Let The Sunshine In on The Ed Sullivan Show, March 30, 1969
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCXSA_biSw4&t=200s