What happens when one of America's most efficient agencies, US AID, dedicated to providing foreign assistance and international development to countries around the world, is dismantled by a set of political appointees, DOGE, Elon Musk, and the second Trump Administration?

The answer is that 750K people die in the year since Inauguration Day, January 20 2025, when President Trump took office and issued a series of Executive Orders, including EO 14169 which issued a freeze on all foreign assistance.

In his compelling and NY Times best-selling book, "Into The Wood Chipper: A Whistleblower's Account of How the Trump Administration Shredded USAID", author Nicholas Enrich provides a day-by-day timeline of what unfolded in a critical 42 day period from January 20 2025 to March 2 2025.

In this season 3 episode 11 of Katy Hansell: The Impact Whisperer® podcast, Nicholas Enrich shares the chaos and cruelty that led to the effective end of US AID by a set of a few people who had no idea what lifesaving work US AID actually did until they had actively begun gutting it. It leads up to why Nicholas Enrich felt he had no choice but to release a series of memos documenting what the administration had done to US AID and the projected impacts for people around the world that had relied on US AID, an agency that had saved 92 Million Lives over two decades.

Prior to being put on leave on March 2 2025, Nicholas Enrich served as Acting Assistant Administrator of Global Health at US AID and had served under 4 presidential administrations.

Creator/ Host Katy Hansell, aka The Impact Whisperer®, is a globally recognized (Top 10), award-winning expert impact coach, strategic advisor to founders, and Board Director, known for guiding 500+ clients over 3 continents to make the impact they care about.

Our podcast features top global voices, established and emerging Gen-Z leaders, who share how they advocate and activate for the people, causes, and communities that have captured their hearts.

Chapters:

(00:00) Introduction to Nicholas Enrich(03:24) Nicholas’s Moment of Impact(07:27) From Kenya to USAID: Finding a Career in Global Health(10:18) Debunking Myths About USAID & Foreign Aid(14:45) What USAID Actually Does Around the World(17:51) How Foreign Aid Shapes America's Global Reputation(19:03) Project 2025 & the Push to Dismantle USAID(21:58) How DOGE Took Aim at USAID(26:36) Day One: Trump's Executive Order Freezes Foreign Aid(31:27) Why USAID Staff Were Silenced(37:55) What Happened On Day Nine(40:52) Inside the Fight to Restart Life-Saving Programs(46:39) The Emotional Final Days at USAID(51:27) Why Nicholas Enrich Became a Whistleblower(54:49) The Memos That Documented the Destruction of USAID(58:43) Why Nicholas's Book Resonated With Americans(01:05:37) What Remains of U.S. Foreign Aid?(01:09:05) The Human Cost of Dismantling USAID(01:11:05) What Gives Nicholas Enrich Hope?(01:12:29) Closing Thoughts