In February of 2025, the White House unilaterally decreed that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) would cease to exist as the world knew it. This pivotal event was the start of a series of sweeping and chaotic cuts that continue to deeply impact the government – and people – of the United States.
I was just one of thousands of people who lost their jobs as a result of these deep cuts, and sadly I’m far from the last.
While most Americans only learn about these developments through brief coverage on the news or social media, living in Washington, DC and being at the center of the slash and burn campaign has given me a personal perspective on how impactful - and harmful - these cuts are.
The anguish of watching thousands of people lose their jobs followed by the heartening ways these communities have come together in support of one another inspired me to share what we already know; that the government is made up of real people, dedicated to making the United States – and the world – a better place.
The pervasive stereotype that government workers are lazy, inefficient, or part of a grand conspiracy to harm our country has helped get us to this critical point in history. Rarely are individual government employees given the spotlight to share their personal stories of why they joined an agency and how their work matters. That is why I decided to make this podcast, Deep Cuts.
My first series features people affiliated with USAID, where I worked for years before losing my own job as a Communications Analyst in the Front Office.
This project will then continue on to feature more stories as the political saga embroiling government workers unfolds.
Please join me, Eric Smith, in listening to the stories of people who worked with or for the government in pursuit of public service, only to be cut off by a whim. Upcoming guests have done inspiring work in service to others, like providing maternal health care in war-torn Sudan, empowering democratic activists in Belarus, uplifting LGBTQ communities around the world, and fostering peace in unstable parts of the globe.
Tune in to the next episode of Deep Cuts, and don’t forget to subscribe.
I was just one of thousands of people who lost their jobs as a result of these deep cuts, and sadly I’m far from the last.
While most Americans only learn about these developments through brief coverage on the news or social media, living in Washington, DC and being at the center of the slash and burn campaign has given me a personal perspective on how impactful - and harmful - these cuts are.
The anguish of watching thousands of people lose their jobs followed by the heartening ways these communities have come together in support of one another inspired me to share what we already know; that the government is made up of real people, dedicated to making the United States – and the world – a better place.
The pervasive stereotype that government workers are lazy, inefficient, or part of a grand conspiracy to harm our country has helped get us to this critical point in history. Rarely are individual government employees given the spotlight to share their personal stories of why they joined an agency and how their work matters. That is why I decided to make this podcast, Deep Cuts.
My first series features people affiliated with USAID, where I worked for years before losing my own job as a Communications Analyst in the Front Office.
This project will then continue on to feature more stories as the political saga embroiling government workers unfolds.
Please join me, Eric Smith, in listening to the stories of people who worked with or for the government in pursuit of public service, only to be cut off by a whim. Upcoming guests have done inspiring work in service to others, like providing maternal health care in war-torn Sudan, empowering democratic activists in Belarus, uplifting LGBTQ communities around the world, and fostering peace in unstable parts of the globe.
Tune in to the next episode of Deep Cuts, and don’t forget to subscribe.
