U2’s Bono hits out at Elon Musk’s DOGE cuts as “unconscionable”, says Republican Party has been “hijacked”

U2‘s Bono has again criticised Elon Musk‘s cuts to international aid, calling them “unconscionable” and claiming that the Republican Party has been “hijacked” by the Donald Trump administration.

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O cantor estava conversando com o New York Times ao lado do The Edge, discutindo o 50º aniversário da banda e seu próximo 16º álbum de estúdio “Carnaval De Luz”, que será lançado em November 13.

He described the current political situation in America as extraordinary, saying: “I think this is the greatest heist in the history of the world: stealing America.

And it’s not a caper movie. It’s real, and it’s happening.”.

He continued: “I don’t want to put off good people who vote conservative, who vote Republican. Their party’s been hijacked, and it’s an aggressive takeover. I want to invite them back.

He was then asked about the US government’s drastic cuts to international aid through Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which oversaw the dismantling of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Um estudo de 2025 publicado na The Lancet projetou que reduções drásticas contínuas no financiamento da USAID poderiam resultar em aproximadamente 14 milhões de mortes adicionais em todo o mundo até 2030, incluindo 4.

Bono tem sido um proeminente ativista pela redução da dívida, combate à pobreza e desenvolvimento internacional há décadas.

He previously clashed with Musk over the USAID cuts following an appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience in May 2025. During that conversation, Bono cited estimates of deaths resulting from the funding reductions, as well as reports of aid supplies being left undistributed.

Musk responded by calling the singer “such a liar/idiot” on X, claiming that “zero people have died” as a result of the USAID cuts. He also invoked an episode of South Park that had mocked Bono.

No mês seguinte, Bono juntou-se aos ex‑presidentes dos EUA Barack Obama e George W. Bush para prestar homenagem aos funcionários da USAID que haviam perdido seus empregos.

In the new New York Times interview, The Edge also addressed the band’s relationship with politics, explaining that he broadly shared Bono’s concerns but wanted U2’s music to offer listeners something positive.

U2 announced ‘Carnaval De Luz’ last month, confirming that their 16th studio album will arrive on November 13. It will be their first full-length collection of new material since 2017’s ‘Songs Of Experience’.

The band have also shared the single ‘The Greatest Show On Earth’ and announced the first dates of their 2027 world tour, with shows confirmed in Mexico, Brazil and Argentina.

The tour will mark their first full-scale live performances since their Las Vegas Sphere residency ended in 2024, and will see drummer Larry Mullen Jr. return following surgery.

U2 comemorou seu 50º aniversário em setembro com shows surpresa em Dublin, inclusive retornando à Mount Temple Comprehensive School, onde os quatro membros se conheceram em 1976.

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