The Washington Roundtable is joined by Atul Gawande, the former head of the U.S. Agency for International Development, to discuss Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s rapid-fire dismantling of the agency. They explore the life-and-death implications of the Trump Administration ending foreign aid, why the agency was targeted, and which federal agencies might be next.

This week’s reading:

“Behind the Chaotic Attempt to Freeze Federal Assistance,” by Atul Gawande
“Elon Musk’s Revolutionary Terror,” by Susan B. Glasser
“Donald Trump’s Madness on Gaza,” by David Remnick
“How Donald Trump Is Transforming Executive Power,” by Isaac Chotiner
“What Happened to the Trump Resistance?” by Brady Brickner-Wood
“Donald Trump’s Anti-Woke Wrecking Ball,” by Benjamin Wallace-Wells
“Trump’s Trade War Is Only Getting Going,” by John Cassidy

To discover more podcasts from The New Yorker, visit newyorker.com/podcasts. To send in feedback on this episode, write to themail@newyorker.com with “The Political Scene” in the subject line.

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Why Trump Is Targeting Foreign Aid, with Atul Gawande

The Political Scene | The New Yorker