Bill Gates hopeful Trump will see 'moral and strategic value' in AIDS relief program

Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates in an interview Wednesday said he hopes President Trump sees the value in preserving the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) program, which has saved more than 25 million lives since it launched in 2003.

Gates, in an interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper, said he stressed the importance of the program when he met with Trump late last year.

“That was a strong message that I gave him,” Gates said, noting that he supports the programs and spends "a lot of time" ensuring the funds are "well spent."

“And I’m hopeful that he’ll see both the moral and strategic value to keep this strong,” he added.

The legacy bipartisan initiative to combat HIV and AIDS in Africa became collateral damage in Trump’s directive to halt U.S. foreign aid, despite efforts to exempt humanitarian assistance and lifesaving medication from the three-month funding freeze.

The pause in global health funding has frozen activities at health clinics across Africa that rely on PEPFAR, raising immediate fears of a rapid spread of HIV around the continent.

Gates, whose charitable organization has long partnered with PEPFAR to tackle the HIV/AIDS crisis in African countries, was asked about the status of the program in the interview, which aired Wednesday.

“There were 48 hours where drug disbursement was shut down, and then that was reversed," Gates said. "And now the challenge is that the employees who manage that work aren’t being let into the office. So we’re a bit up in the air."

Topics

Bill Gates defends USAID’s work after meeting with Trump and White House chief of staff

WASHINGTON — Billionaire Bill Gates, a philanthropist and co-founder of Microsoft, said he met with President Donald Trump at the White House on Wednesday to advocate for continuing foreign aid ...
NBC News - 15h
Newsom to Meet With Trump as He Seeks Federal Aid for Fire Relief

Gov. Gavin Newsom, the Democratic governor of California, has tried to cooperate with President Trump as he seeks federal aid for wildfire relief.
The New York Times - 1d
Bill Gates confirms he has a serious girlfriend, reflects on divorce from Melinda French Gates

Bill Gates says his divorce from Melinda French Gates is his biggest regret, but he's moved on and is enjoying spending time with his girlfriend Paula Hurd.
NBC News - 2d
Bill Gates talks new book, relationship with Trump, views on Musk

Microsoft founder Bill Gates sits down with TODAY’s Savannah Guthrie to talk about his new book “Source Code” and the early days that shaped his storied (and extremely profitable) career. He also ...
NBC News - 2d
Elon Musk’s DOGE Is Still Blocking HIV/AIDS Relief Exempted From Foreign Aid Cuts

The Trump administration claims it is allowing “lifesaving” foreign aid to continue, but in reality, DOGE is preventing vital work on HIV and AIDS from saving lives.
Wired - 2d
Bill Gates on wealth, influence and technology

The Microsoft founder gives his verdict on the alliance between Trump and Musk.
BBC News - 3d
Forget the pundits – here’s how philosophers see America’s moral divide over Trump

How can neighbors have such a fundamental disagreement about seemingly basic concepts of rightness and justice?. In 2016, it was easy for the left to process Donald Trump’s election as a fluke – ...
The Guardian - 4d
How Bill Gates knew he was different

The Harvard dropout revolutionized the computer industry and, later, the world of philanthropy. Now he has been looking back at his childhood, with the first of a three-part autobiography fittingly ...
CBS News - 4d
Source Code by Bill Gates review – growing pains of a computer geek

The first volume of the tech baron turned philanthropist’s memoirs focuses on his parent’s struggles to control him – and a painful early loss. The enduring mystery about William Henry Gates III is ...
The Guardian - 4d
Health Programs Shutter Around the World After Trump Pauses Foreign Aid

Lifesaving treatment and prevention programs for tuberculosis, malaria, H.I.V. and other diseases cannot access funds to continue work.
The New York Times - 4d
Bill Self goes for comic relief after No. 11 Kansas blows biggest lead in loss in program history

Kansas coach Bill Self is going for comic relief after the biggest blown lead in a loss in the storied program's history
ABC News - 4d
The Moral and Strategic Case for Taking in the Afghan Refugees

Trump is Breaking at Least 1600 Promises and Upending That Many Lives.
The New York Times - 5d
Book excerpt: "Source Code: My Beginnings" by Bill Gates

In his new autobiography, the computer pioneer and philanthropist writes of his origins, and about how, in eighth grade, he discovered BASIC, which introduced him to the elegance and exacting ...
CBS News - 5d
Bill Gates Traumatized His Parents—and Other Stories of a Wild, Wonky Youth

Terrorizing classmates, spending a night in jail, tripping on LSD: This isn’t the Bill Gates you know.
Wired - 6d
Source Code: My Beginnings by Bill Gates review – refreshingly frank

In contrast to the current crop of swaggering tech bros, the Microsoft founder comes across as wry and self-deprecating in this memoir of starting out. Bill Gates is the John McEnroe of the tech ...
The Guardian - 6d
Bill Gates Isn’t Like Those Other Tech Billionaires

The Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist is taking a break from the future to examine his past — and mulling where the billionaires now fit in.
The New York Times - 6d
Bill Gates’s Biggest Regret: Letting an Old Love Slip Away

Bill Gates recently described the dissolution of his 27-year marriage as a painful “mistake.” As he’s learned, you can’t put a price on a relationship that’s seen you through it all.
The New York Times - 6d
Book Review: ‘Source Code,’ by Bill Gates

A new memoir by the tech mogul recounts a boyhood steeped in old-fashioned, analog pastimes as well as precocious feats of coding.
The New York Times - Jan. 30
4 ways a tax relief service can reduce your tax bill

If you owe back taxes to the IRS, the right tax relief service could help reduce your bill. Here's how.
CBS News - Jan. 29
93% of IT leaders see value in AI agents but struggle to deliver, Salesforce finds

AI agents are set to transform enterprise. But when will they really come to the fore? Salesforce and Mulesoft says this will be the year.
VentureBeat - Jan. 29
U.S. Halt to Foreign Aid Cripples Programs Worldwide

Many of the frozen programs are aimed at alleviating disease and malnutrition, but even security programs with U.S. funding are shutting down.
The New York Times - Jan. 29
White House budget office suspends federal financial aid programs

The Office of Management and Budget instructed federal agencies to pause any financial aid programs that might conflict with President Donald Trump's executive orders.
ABC News - Jan. 28
Bill Gates says the end of his marriage to Melinda Gates is the mistake he regrets most

Billionaire Bill Gates is opening up about his life and named the end of his 27-year long marriage to Melinda French Gates as his biggest mistake.
NBC News - Jan. 28
Bill Gates on Musk's growing influence on global politics: 'Insane s‑‑‑'

Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates discussed tech mogul Elon Musk’s growing influence on global politics during an interview. “You want to promote the right wing but say Nigel Farage is not ...
The Hill - Jan. 27
Trump Explodes Out of the Gate

For the president’s opponents, it was a week that felt like a decade.
The New York Times - Jan. 27
Funding for AIDS relief program to stop after foreign aid pause

The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, provides billions in funding to organizations to combat HIV.
CBS News - Jan. 26
Bill Gates on His Meeting With Trump, Musk's DOGE, His Childhood

The billionaire spoke with The Wall Street Journal ahead of his coming book, “Source Code.”
The Wall Street Journal - Jan. 24
What’s the value of Trump’s new memecoin?

Crypto-offerings from the president and his family have worth, but not necessarily the financial kind
Financial Times - Jan. 20
Trump-backed memecoin value tops $13bn as crypto industry hopes rise

Incoming president launched token on Friday after a Washington gala for crypto executives and politicians
Financial Times - Jan. 19
Independent secures funding from Bill Gates’ foundation

It has given British media group more than $700,000 to fund journalism in ‘under reported’ parts of the world
Financial Times - Jan. 19
Former Trump aides are warning newbies: Buy legal insurance or risk a hefty bill

As Republicans gear up for new jobs in the second Trump administration, people who worked for President-elect Donald Trump the first time around are dispensing advice about a must-buy item for ...
NBC News - Jan. 18
Bill Gates on Trump meeting: 'Frankly I was impressed'

Billionaire philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates reflected on a recent dinner he had with President-elect Trump in an interview with the Wall Street Journal, saying he was "impressed" ...
The Hill - Jan. 18
Anti-AIDS program in GOP crosshairs over abortion funding

Republicans are fuming at the State Department after learning that recipients of funding from the legacy program to curb HIV/AIDS across Africa, PEPFAR, performed abortions in violation of U.S. ...
The Hill - Jan. 17
Trump floats adding Los Angeles aid to reconciliation bill

President-elect Trump floated the idea Thursday of including federal aid to Los Angeles in the wake of deadly fires as part of a massive reconciliation package, suggesting that doing so would win ...
The Hill - Jan. 16
Kalshi names Donald Trump Jr. as strategic advisor to prediction market firm

The president-elect's eldest son's growing business footprint now includes the prediction market platform that rose to prominence during the 2024 election.
CNBC - Jan. 13
Democrats must work with President Trump — strategically

Democrats must be willing to seriously engage the president-elect’s fickleness. If they don’t, the left will find itself left behind by events as Republicans spend the next two to four years ...
The Hill - Jan. 8