Bono's appearance on Joe Rogan show sparks outrage as Elon Musk calls him ‘liar’ over shocking ‘300,000 deaths’ claim
Bono faces backlash from Trump supporters after claiming USAID cuts led to 300,000 deaths, including 200,000 children.
Irish music star Bono has drawn criticism from proponents of President Donald Trump's Make America Great Again (MAGA) campaign after quoting an expert who suggested that 300,000 fatalities may have been caused by the administration's cuts to USAID.

Elon Musk, the former head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), called Bono “a liar/idiot” after he made the assertion during an interview on Joe Rogan's well-liked podcast broadcast on Friday.
The second Trump administration, which came to power in January, directed to shut down USAID and even placed a halt to most international aid payments, but this move was halted in court.
Critics warned the changes would affect some of the world's most disadvantaged, while supporters claimed they saved American taxpayers money that was being wasted.
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Here's what Bono said
Bono, a founding member of U2, recently appeared on the Joe Rogan Experience and stated: “Just recent report, it's not proven, but there's surveillance enough [to] suggest 300,000 people have already died from just this cut off, this hard cut, of USAID so there's food rotting in boats, in warehouses, this will f*** you off.”
“There is 50,000 tons of food that are stored in Djibouti, South Africa, Dubai, and wait for it Houston, Texas, that is rotting rather than going to Gaza, rather than going to Sudan, because the people who know the codes for the warehouse are fired, they're done,” he added.
Bono seemed to be referring to a study by Brooke Nichols, a quantitative modeler of infectious diseases at Boston University, who found that USAID cuts could have caused 300,000 fatalities, including 200,000 children, that could have been avoided.
Trump fans took to social media to express their outrage at Bono's allegation, including Elon Musk, who on Friday received a big key from the president as a token of gratitude as he resigned from the daily operations of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Regarding Bono, Musk wrote on X, “He's such a liar/idiot. Zero people have died!”
In addition, well-known conservative X pundit Catturd said: “Elon Musk calls out low IQ moron Bono for being an idiot and a liar.”
Trump, Musk supporters call out Bono
Mike Benz, executive director of the Foundation For Freedom Online advocacy group, posted a video of Bono's comments and stated, “These USAID numbers are f***** faker than their COVID numbers.”
In addition, well-known conservative X pundit Catturd said: “Elon Musk calls out low IQ moron Bono for being an idiot and a liar.”
“Bono wants taxpayers to fund the world’s problems while he ducks his own bill in Ireland. A textbook hypocrite,” one more stated.
ABOUT THE AUTHORShweta KukretiShweta Kukreti has over 8 years of experience in covering Indian and world politics. She joined the Hindustan Times in 2024 and is primarily assigned to the US desk. She currently works as Deputy Chief Content Producer and reports on a wide range of topics, including US politics, immigration issues (especially H-1B visa) and major global events. Shweta strongly emphasizes team operations, which encompasses monitoring news, delegating tasks, editing, developing comprehensive coverage strategies, and crafting engaging, and data-informed narratives. She received the Digi Star Award at the Hindustan Times within a year of joining for her broad coverage of US politics. In 2025, she earned both a promotion and a redesignation, a significant achievement recognising her contributions and the strong value she brings to the team. She has previously worked with the Indian Express, HTDS, ANI and Republic World. Seniors in all the media organisations recognised her work. Regarding education, she earned a BA (Hons.) in Political Science and a master's degree from Delhi University, and she pursued a PG Diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Institution of Mass Communication (IIMC). She also holds a diploma in Women's Empowerment and Development from IGNOU University and a French certification course from Alliance Française de Delhi. If not working, you can find her exploring the hills and engaging in adventurous activities in Rishikesh and Himachal Pradesh. She loves to play badminton, volleyball, and chess, and spend time with her friends and family. She also enjoys spiritual activities.Read More

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