Trump and Musk are destroying a vital tool of American soft power – a tool that protects US interests at home and abroad.

Politicians grapple over USAID amid Trump’s downsizing of federal government
The House Foreign Affairs committee is hearing arguments into what GOP leadership is calling a betrayal of the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Fox – 32 Chicago
I was 12 years old in 1991 when the United States launched Operation Desert Shield and later Operation Desert Storm against Iraq to liberate Kuwait. As a Midwestern girl born and raised in the heartland, I was mesmerized by the yellow ribbons tied to almost every tree in support of the American men and women deployed to the Middle East. Those yellow ribbons left an indelible mark. Imprinted on my heart was this notion that the U.S. was a nation of people who stood by those called to serve and supported them with the American spirit of generosity and kindness.
Years later in June 2001 – just three months before 9/11 – I was commissioned in the Air Force and began my nearly 13-year career as a military officer and pilot. I deployed in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. By the time I fulfilled my service commitment, it had become clear to me that America’s military power would not be the answer to all conflicts.
After 9/11, President George W. Bush championed a new approach to America’s international engagement, leveraging the “3 Ds” – defense, diplomacy and development – recognizing that the military would not be able to address every challenge.
International development and humanitarian assistance – primarily through the U.S. Agency for International Development – were deemed essential pillars of our national security. This “soft power” was now elevated alongside hard power and diplomatic engagement to protect the American people and project our power globally.
Community of patriots whose mission is to save lives
When I left the military in 2014, I embarked on an effort to join the ranks of America’s soft power professionals. I landed at USAID in the Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance.
I found a community of patriots similar to those I served alongside in the Air Force – patriots and kind and generous souls who are dedicated to service and committed to supporting and promoting American ideals, a community whose mission is to save lives and alleviate human suffering in the wake of disasters and humanitarian crises worldwide.
Over the past few weeks, Elon Musk and President Donald Trump have sought to dismantle USAID and fire its entire dedicated workforce of more than 13,000 people who have served the American people and our interests abroad through Republican and Democratic administrations.
Moreover, Americans in nearly every state – including many farmers in the heartland – are also losing their livelihoods as the ripple effects take hold.
They are destroying a vital tool of American soft power – a tool that protects American interests at home and abroad and projects American generosity and kindness around the world while employing and protecting Americans at home.
My colleagues at USAID are the kind of people who run toward the fire. Around the world, in the midst of humanitarian crises, they provide lifesaving aid to those most in need. And they do so because they believe in the foundational principle of humanity, which emphasizes our commonality as human beings and asserts that every person deserves to live a dignified life.
They also understand – as bipartisan majorities for decades have also understood – that it is far more economical to send aid and development than to watch global regions descend into chaos and war and then have to deal with the consequences.
America is great, because we are good
Every one of my colleagues would run toward the fire to aid every American in need no matter who they may be. In fact, after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, USAID managed logistics and operations support for the humanitarian aid that other nations sent to the United States. The people of USAID – including many like me who are military veterans – are the very best of us.
But that’s not what Musk and the president want you to believe.
We are at a crossroads as a nation. Now, more than ever, we must remember the spirit of America. Our spirit is one of American kindness and generosity, a spirit that tied those yellow ribbons on trees across America. We are called today to turn toward our neighbors, not away.
As a veteran and a humanitarian, I ask you to remember who we are – to think about what it means to be a city on a hill, and to remember that America is great, because we are good. We can allow those who seek to dismantle our institutions and falsely demonize our fellow Americans to succeed – or we can remember the yellow ribbons.
Cate Klepacki is an Air Force veteran and furloughed contractor who worked at USAID helping respond to conflicts and disasters around the world.