The longstanding USAID (U.S. Agency for International Development) is in the process of getting completely shut down. President Donald Trump’s administration has already put an end to over 80 percent of the program, with the remaining in the process of merging with the US Department of State. Amid all this, UFC commentator and podcast host Joe Rogan made some astounding revelations about USAID and how much of the funds disappeared without any trace.
USAID, started by former President John F. Kennedy in 1961, reportedly had an annual budget of $40 billion. These funds were especially used for providing developmental assistance to other countries, but Joe Rogan claims this program had been used as a means of “money laundering” for years. Echoing the same sentiment as Tesla CEO Elon Musk, the 57-year-old did not refute the fact that there are people who use the money for good. After all, the US has assisted many ailing countries over the years. But he also added that the US government has lost trillions of dollars over the years through USAID, with no information as to where it all went. That made it untraceable.
“The problem is, for sure, there have been a lot of organizations that do tremendous good all throughout the world. Also, for sure, it was a money laundering operation,” Joe Rogan told rock legend Bono on the #2330 JRE episode. “For sure, there was no oversight. For sure, billions of dollars are missing. In fact, trillions that are unaccounted for, that were sent off into various—they don’t even know where because there’s no receipts.”
Furthermore, Joe Rogan also recalled the conversations he had with Elon Musk. The South Africa-born billionaire briefly worked in Trump’s administration as a part of DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency). During that time, Rogan claims Musk found out that the way these funds had been misused could have led to legal implications. But not in the case of USAID, because it’s a government entity.
April 29, 2025, Nakuru, Kenya: A billboard with information about the suspended USAID United States Agency for International Development program is seen inside a church compound. US administration recently extended its 90 day freeze on foreign aid by another 30 days. The freeze caused severe disruptions in health programs particularly those targeting HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. Nakuru Kenya – ZUMAs197 20250429_aaa_s197_002 Copyright: xJamesxWakibiax
“The way Elon Musk described it, he said if any of this was done by a public company, the company would be delisted and the executives would be in prison. But in the United States, this is standard… There’s a lot of fraud. A lot of money laundering,” Joe Rogan added. However, the JRE host is not entirely opposed to the idea of aid. It’s an essential policy after all. But he wanted some changes in it.
Joe Rogan calls for ‘aid without fraud’
There is a lot of good that can be done with USAID, and Joe Rogan recognizes that fact. He believes that this program can prove to be an efficient one. It’s all up to the lawmakers and authorities to devise a strategy to wipe out and curb all the corrupt practices associated with it. There are countries that require assistance with food, water, medicine, and other basic amenities. Hence, Rogan suggests that taking account of all these facts is necessary before the administration makes “radical cuts.”
“The whole thing is there’s a lot of fraud, a lot of money laundering, but also, we help the world. And when you’re talking about making wells for people in the Congo to get fresh water, when you talk about food and medicine to places that don’t have access, like, no way that should have been cut out,” Joe Rogan further stated. “Like, there’s got to be a way to keep aid and not have fraud. And you can’t say we’re gonna kill everything so that there’s no fraud. But then you’re killing all the good and you’re doing it without letting anybody know it’s gonna happen.”
There are a lot of people protesting the decision to disband USAID. But on the other side, many people also support the move. But what do you make of the developmental program after hearing what Joe Rogan had to say? Drop your comments below.
The post “Billions of Dollars Are Missing”: Joe Rogan Backs Elon Musk’s Money Laundering Allegations on USAID appeared first on EssentiallySports.
