Jun 26, 2026 The Big Take (Audio)
Nearly a year after the Trump administration shuttered USAID, its former administrator, Samantha Power, sits down with David Gura and the Big Take podcast to discuss the impact of those cuts — and what she wishes she had done differently.

00;00;00 Introduction & Samantha Power's Background
00;00;27 The Dismantling of USAID
00;03;33 Children and the Human Cost
00;04;24 The Impact on USAID Staff
00;06;04 Was the Dismantling Planned?
00;09;25 Republican Support and Political Reactions
00;11;38 America's Soft Power Decline
00;14;14 The Ebola Outbreak and Global Health Security
00;17;26 Lessons from COVID and Future Pandemic Preparedness
00;20;56 Iran, the JCPOA, and Current Nuclear Talks
00;24;49 Rethinking the U.S.–Israel Relationship
00;27;16 Reflecting on Gaza and Government Service
00;32;30 Why She Didn't Resign
00;34;11 The Future of Democratic Foreign Policy
00;37;45 Closing Remarks