Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has warned the Trump administration that his philanthropy cannot replace U.S. government funding of global health care efforts, according to people familiar with the matter. Gates recently met with members of Congress and National Security Council officials to express his concerns, according to two sources who requested anonymity.
The Trump administration has effectively dismantled USAID, terminating 90% of the agency’s foreign aid contracts and furloughing most of its staff, laying off 1,600 people. USAID distributed $43.8 billion in aid in fiscal year 2023, according to Pew Research.
"President Trump will support policies that strengthen public health, cut programs that are inconsistent with the agenda the American people mandated him to implement in November, and preserve those that prioritize America," White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly said in a statement.
The Gates Foundation has a budget of nearly $9 billion for 2025 and has funded malaria vaccine testing and GAVI's childhood immunization efforts.
"Bill recently met with policymakers in Washington, D.C., to discuss the life-saving role of U.S. international assistance and the need for a strategic plan to protect the world's most vulnerable while safeguarding the health and safety of the United States," the foundation said in a statement.