In his office at Texas A&M University, Andrew Natsios is an angry man. Before he joined academia, Natsios spent five years in charge at the US Agency for International Development, which Elon Musk this year described as a “criminal organisation”.
Musk’s venomous tweets in the second week of the Trump administration shocked the world. Events since then show he has followed through – which is a sobering thought as the MAGA movement takes aim at security and trade shibboleths. There are also startling ripple effects. Suddenly, it’s okay for countries to drastically reduce aid and the money they give to multilateral efforts. The collective impact will be such, longtime participants say, that there will be no turning back.
Emma ConnorsSenior editor and writerEmma Connors was South-east Asia correspondent from October 2019 until mid-2023, based in Jakarta and Singapore. She has previously edited Perspective and Opinion and has written extensively across the AFR and related titles. Connect with Emma on Twitter. Email Emma at emma.connors@nine.com.au
