The Lawfare Podcast Lawfare Daily: An Insider’s Account of the Trump Administration’s Dismantling of USAID
May 7, 2026
Nicholas Enrich, former acting assistant administrator for Global Health at USAID and author of Into the Wood Chipper, gives an insider account of USAID’s rapid dismantling. He recounts the January 20 freeze, disruptive political hires and DOGE influence, consequences for Ebola and global health programs, waves of contract cancellations, litigation, and the daunting task of rebuilding expertise and international trust.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
USAID As Both Humanitarian Actor And Security Tool
- USAID's global health mission combined saving lives and U.S. national security by preventing infectious disease spread to Americans.
- Nicholas Enrich cites an $8 billion annual global health budget funding HIV, malaria, TB, maternal health and pandemic early-warning efforts built after COVID.
Day One Freeze Sparked Immediate Fear Of Mass Harm
- An executive order on day one froze foreign assistance and threatened immediate program disruption worldwide.
- Enrich was on vacation, assumed supplemental guidance would fix it, but feared millions could die if the freeze meant halting clinics and clinical trials.
Incompetent Rapid Tinkering Tore Systems Apart
- DOGE personnel lacked subject-matter knowledge and acted quickly to terminate contracts and staff without understanding consequences.
- Enrich compares them to "children in a toy spaceship," causing irreversible breaks to payment systems and program delivery.
