In Joe Rogan’s podcast studio, a cigar smoked and brows furrowed as his guest spoke of the dark history of America’s influence abroad. It sounds like a familiar left-wing critic’s script, but the guest’s identity was a surprise: a former speechwriter for President Trump’s first administration, whose views were cited by Elon Musk as a justification for dismantling the 64-year-old foreign aid agency. This speechwriter now uses left-wing critiques to defend his own right-wing agenda, as if the tides of history have reversed, bringing old tickets aboard new ships.
Read from: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/19/us/politics/elon-musk-republicans-international-development.html