Oh Goody, a Trump Official Once Called Ebola a “Scam”
The current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda is one of the largest in recent history, with nearly 1,000 suspected cases and over 200 suspected deaths. Public health workers are struggling to contain the outbreak due to funding cuts from the Trump administration, despite claims from the State Department that these cuts did not affect the response. Testimonies reveal that officials within USAID had previously dismissed the outbreak as a 'scam' and deprioritized related health activities.
- ▪The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda has nearly 1,000 suspected cases and over 200 suspected deaths.
- ▪Funding cuts from the Trump administration have hindered public health efforts to contain the outbreak.
- ▪USAID officials had characterized the Ebola outbreak as a 'scam' and deprioritized activities related to it.
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freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: "motherjones_right_rail_1", slotId: "ROS_ATF_300x600" }); Red Cross workers bury an Ebola victim at the Rwampara Cemetery, in Rwampara, Congo, Saturday, May 23, 2026. Moses Sawasawa/AP Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily. The current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda is one of the largest in recent history. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there have been nearly 1,000 suspected cases and more than 200 suspected deaths.
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