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newsJul 31, 202547:33pending

The DOGE Alum Asking if Foreign Aid Is America’s Problem

About this episode

Does America have a moral obligation to the world? The former Department of Government Efficiency staffer Jeremy Lewin, now deputy administrator for the United States Agency for International Development, explains how he is implementing President Trump’s foreign aid philosophy and what it means for humanitarian assistance going forward.

  • 01:59 - From the private sector to interviewing with Elon Musk
  • 09:18 - The rapid restructuring of U.S.A.I.D.
  • 19:44 - Lewin’s critiques of U.S.A.I.D.’s focus
  • 25:15 - The most controversial cuts: humanitarian aid 
  • 29:50 - America’s interests first, values-based interests second
  • 40:14 - What is the future vision for foreign aid?

(A full transcript of this episode is available on the Times website.)

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The DOGE Alum Asking if Foreign Aid Is America’s Problem

Interesting Times with Ross Douthat

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