Tipsheet

If Hollywood Misses USAID So Much, Why Don't They Step Up?

Amy Curtis
Amy Curtis  |  July 21, 2026 11:30 AM

Ancient Romans classified gladiators and prostitutes as infames, a legal and social category that meant they lacked basic civil protections and honor. Also included in that social caste were actors. While these movie stars—actors is too good a word for them—may give stellar performances when someone is telling them what to say and how to behave, when they're just being themselves, we see now exactly why the ancient Romans had such a low opinion of them.

Richard Gere is one of those who recently sat down and lamented the loss of the corrupt, bloated, and money-laundering organization known as USAID.

"USAID was probably the most pure thing that America did up to that moment," Gere said. "It was a giveaway program to needy people. Whether it was health, education, women's issues. It was all kinds of stuff. Big things, small things. What they did with HIV/AIDS saved tens of millions of lives continually. He stopped that day one. It was insane. This is a guy who was never in the building at USAID. I was there for decades."

And yet Gere had no idea how wasteful and corrupt USAID was.

"He wouldn't even know what it stands for, USAID," Gere continued, "and he has idiots around him who have the same ignorance about it. Are we ashamed of it? Yes. That was the good part of us. He keeps saying we're the wealthiest, most powerful country in the world. Well, what do you do if you're the wealthiest, most powerful? You help people."

This writer will send Gere's publicist her address, and he can send her some money because he's wealthy and powerful and she is not.

We also notice that Gere and his fellow Hollywood pals aren't teaming up to create a charity to replace USAID. No, no. The plumber and the teacher and the farmer can have their incomes taxed to the hilt to pay for things in Africa.

Clearly.

But he spent a decade there. He's smarter than the rest of us.

Gere assures us this was the "most pure" thing America ever did. Which means he thinks Guatemalan sex changes and Serbian DEI are "pure."