Bono’s bold claim about USAID cuts killing 300,000 people crumbled under scrutiny on "The Joe Rogan Experience."
Fox News reported that on the podcast, the U2 frontman blamed Trump-era USAID cuts for mass deaths and rotting food, sparking a fiery debate with Joe Rogan and Elon Musk. Their pushback, amplified by Musk’s sharp X post calling Bono a "liar/idiot," ignited a conservative uproar online.
Bono appeared on Rogan’s show, slamming the Trump administration for slashing USAID’s budget.
He claimed the cuts led to 300,000 deaths, a number that raised eyebrows. His emotional plea about food "rotting" in warehouses from Djibouti to Houston sounded dire but lacked hard evidence.
"This will f--- you off," Bono declared, painting a grim picture of warehouse workers fired and food spoiling.
His 300,000-death figure, though, came from a speculative model by Boston University’s Brooke Nichols. That’s not a body count—it’s a projection, and a wobbly one at that.
Nichols herself admitted her model’s flaws, citing "biggest uncertainties" like whether other groups mitigated the cuts’ impact. Bono’s claim, then, isn’t a fact—it’s a guess dressed up as truth. Turns out, actions have consequences, and so do exaggerations.
Rogan didn’t let Bono’s claims slide unchallenged. He acknowledged some aid groups’ good work but called USAID a corrupt mess, with "trillions unaccounted for." His quip about "throwing the baby out with the bathwater" cut to the core: fix the system, don’t just fund it blindly.
Elon Musk, never one for subtlety, jumped in on X. "He’s such a liar/idiot," he posted, torching Bono’s narrative.
The comment lit up conservative corners of the internet, where accountability, not celebrity tears, reigns supreme.
Popular commentator Catturd piled on, agreeing with Musk that Bono’s claims were nonsense. "I agree 100% with Elon Musk that Bono is an idiot and a liar," Catturd wrote. The online crowd cheered, tired of unverified sob stories.
Documents confirm the Trump administration gutted 90% of USAID’s foreign aid contracts. That’s a fact, and conservatives argue it was long overdue for a program riddled with waste. Bono’s outrage, though, seems more theatrical than grounded.
One X user nailed it: "Bono starts by saying, ‘It’s not proven.’ So he’s lying." Admitting your claim isn’t solid while pushing it as fact is a bold strategy—and a failing one. The conservative call for truth over feelings resonates here.
Nichols’ model, the backbone of Bono’s 300,000 figure, projects "potential" deaths, not confirmed ones. She highlighted the lack of real-time tracking in affected regions, making Bono’s certainty look reckless. Speculation isn’t evidence, no matter how loudly you sing it.
"What is that? That’s not America, is it?" Bono asked, questioning the cuts’ morality. But conservatives counter: What’s un-American is funneling billions into a broken system with no oversight. Real compassion demands results, not just rhetoric.
Musk’s X post fueled a broader debate, with conservatives rallying behind his call for USAID reform. His push for changes under the Department of Government Efficiency struck a chord. Wasteful spending isn’t a virtue, and taxpayers deserve better.
One commentator online scoffed, "They’ve made this 300,000 number up and propagandized people with it." The sentiment reflects a growing distrust of elite narratives. When facts are shaky, skepticism isn’t just warranted—it’s essential.
