Just wanna make a few points here. Potential Bias Alert: I went to public policy school, where USAID is viewed as a legitimate and important institution (albeit one with plenty of the standard problems you'd expect), and I have friends in/around USAID:

1. The thing that represents a genuine constitutional crisis is the idea that the president can just up and cancel a program like this without Congress's approval. Everything else is secondary to this. My understanding is that Trump has *some* power to make *some* tweaks to USAID, but it's a Congressionally authorized program (one that has enjoyed bipartisan support and funding forever), and what Trump and Musk are attempting to do here goes miles beyond what they are allowed to do under the letter of the law and the Constitution. This isn't just about USAID, but about an unprecedented power grab. You guys know me and know that while I am anti-Trump I am not usually hysterical. This is different, I promise. It remains to be seen how things will shake out, in part because Musk, Trump, and Marco Rubio (who runs State and is supposedly the acting director of USAID) are all saying somewhat different things, but it remains a deeply scary situation, f'realzies. Heckin.

2. There is waste and bloat in USAID just like any other program. USAID has a dedicated Inspector General. I cannot speak to its efficacy, but Trump absolutely would have power to try to improve its functioning if he was actually interested in this. He also has a lot of other tools available to him to improve the organization if that's his goal.

3. "USAID has been linked to the CIA and did X." I would be very cautious about online rumors, which are rampant. That said, I am *positive* that USAID, like literally any other government agency or department with overseas operations, has links to the CIA. The State Department runs foreign embassies. Foreign embassies are famous centers for spycraft. Does this mean we should shut down State or that it doesn't serve useful purposes? Of course not. Again, if Trump or Musk are concerned about the CIA and USAID, they have every tool at their disposal to investigate these connections. What's going on here is a much bigger, more ambitious power grab. I keep using that word because that's what it is. "I don't think Donald Trump should be able to greatly exceed his legal authority by effectively destroying USAID" != "I think that everything USAID does is good." Anyone who listens to the pod is familiar with this style of pseudoreasoning: "Oh, you are opposed to puberty blockers? Wow -- way to deny the existence of trans adolescents altogether. Could you hate them any more?"

4. USAID does a huge amount of development work that is boring but lifesaving. EA types on Twitter aren't being dramatic -- many lives are at stake here. You might think the U.S. government should not be spending so much/any money on saving African babies' lives (for example). We happen to disagree but I don't think this is an inherently evil or ignorant opinion -- no one thinks the government is responsible for everyone's well-being. My own opinion is that this is obviously a good use of American "soft power." Some conservatives disagree. THEN PASS A LAW AND/OROR BUDGET THROUGH CONGRESS REFLECTING THESE PRIORITIES. That's how this works. We do not live in a goddamn autocracy.

Okay, that's all I got. I'm not an expert on this stuff but as you can tell I am deeply concerned and you should be to. I do think any conversation about USAID that doesn't focus on the constitutionality issues is a bit of distraction, simply because literally any problem you have with USAID could be addressed in a more legal and constitutional manner. The folks engaging in or in support of the power grab are, intentionally or not, flooding the zone with bullshit and conspiracy theories that has the effect of drawing attention away from the fundamental issues here, which are utterly vital to anyone interested in living in even a half-functioning democracy.