Rwandan President praises ‘unconventional’ Trump, says ‘we might learn some lessons’ with USAID shutdown

Rwandan President Paul Kagame responded to President Donald Trump’s calls to shut down a massive US government aid program that has paid out millions of dollars to his country in an interview with CNN. 

“President Trump has an unconventional way of doing things,” Kagame said in an interview with CNN reporter Larry Madowo from Monday. “I completely agree with him on many things.” 

Trump has repeatedly signaled that the US Agency for International Development (USAID), should be shut down and cease to distribute taxpayer funds around the world to aid and relief projects. He previously told reporters on Sunday that USAID is “run by radical lunatics.” 

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When pressed by a CNN reporter to explain how the shutdown of USAID might negatively affect Rwanda, Kagame said that the country might actually benefit from the cessation of USAID funds. 

“I think from being hurt, we might learn some lessons,” he said. 

Trump, along with Tesla CEO Elon Musk, also the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), have targeted USAID and other government agencies for additional scrutiny for wasteful spending. 

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However, Trump’s attempts to put 2,200 employees of the U.S. Agency for International Development on leave were stalled by court action. 

U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, a Trump appointee, also agreed to block an order that would have given just 30 days for the thousands of overseas USAID workers the administration wanted to place on abrupt administrative leave to move their families back to the U.S. at the government’s expense.

Trump has also signaled that DOGE, which is tasked with eliminating government spending and waste and streamlining operations, will investigate the Education Department and the Pentagon. 

Fox News’ Landon Mion contributed to this report.