Samantha Power, former US Ambassador to UN: Closing USAID was soft power suicide

“The destruction of USAID is not only one of the cruellest acts that I've seen in my career, but of course also one of the dumbest.” Caitriona Perry speaks to Samantha Power, the former American ambassador to the United Nations. She went on to lead the U.S. Agency for International Development until January 2025 when Donald Trump came to power. President Trump later closed USAID down. She is scathing about his decision, describing it as a “soft power suicide” which will lead to the avoidable deaths of millions of people around the world. Ambassador Power also warns of gridlock in the United Nations, thanks to the use of veto powers by permanent members of the Security Council.