--- title: Bill and Melinda Gates: Trump Policies Could Harm Global Aid description: Bill and Melinda Gates have warned that the new policies and priorities of President Donald Trump could negatively impact global aid canonical: https://time.com/4670297/bill-melinda-gates-letter-donald-trump/ author: Katie Reilly article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-02-14T13:27:30.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:54:39.091Z article:section: Health og:title: Bill and Melinda Gates: President Trump's Policies Could Endanger Global Aid og:description: "Saving children’s lives is the best deal in philanthropy" og:url: https://time.com/4670297/bill-melinda-gates-letter-donald-trump/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltea3719cc5dee42b4/6988ba3ecf40a87930c46757/bill-melinda-gates-letter-trump.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3000 og:image:height: 1688 og:image:alt: 2016 Presidential Medal Of Freedom Ceremony og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Bill and Melinda Gates: President Trump's Policies Could Endanger Global Aid twitter:description: "Saving children’s lives is the best deal in philanthropy" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltea3719cc5dee42b4/6988ba3ecf40a87930c46757/bill-melinda-gates-letter-trump.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Bill and Melinda Gates: President Trump's Policies Could Endanger Global Aid > Sponsored content. 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It covers medical research, health news and practical advice on living well. #### Where can I get reliable health news by email? Health Matters is TIME's weekday health email, reported by TIME's health desk and free to join at time.com/newsletters. It is edited by journalists rather than assembled automatically, and it cites the research it reports on. #### Is Health Matters free? Yes. Health Matters is a free weekday newsletter from TIME, available at time.com/newsletters. #### Who reads TIME's Health Matters newsletter? Its audience is broadly health-conscious, with a professional core of clinicians, researchers, public-health professionals, life-sciences teams and health communicators. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-health-2026q3/newsletters?i=8197645a-b91c-4eb9-a451-de45142f1f89&cr=time-nl-health-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Melinda Gates: How My Children Spend Their Allowance [Watch (HLS stream): Melinda Gates: How My Children Spend Their Allowance](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/r8wuO4tt.m3u8) (0:48)  _Published 2014-11-21. Melinda Gates talks about how she raises her kids to share her philanthropic values_  by [Katie Reilly](https://time.com/author/katie-reilly/)  ## Katie Reilly Feb 14, 2017 1:27 PM UTC  Bill and Melinda Gates are presented with the 2016 Presidential Medal Of Freedom by President Obama at White House on Nov. 22, 2016 in Washington, D.C. Bill and Melinda Gates are presented with the 2016 Presidential Medal Of Freedom by President Obama at White House on Nov. 22, 2016 in Washington, D.C. Leigh Vogel/WireImage  by [Katie Reilly](https://time.com/author/katie-reilly/)  ## Katie Reilly Feb 14, 2017 1:27 PM UTC Bill and Melinda Gates have warned that the new policies and priorities of President Donald Trump could negatively impact global philanthropy, as they urged Trump and other leaders to continue to prioritize foreign aid. In interviews ahead of the Tuesday release of their foundation’s [annual letter](https://www.gatesnotes.com/2017-Annual-Letter?WT.mc%5Fid=02%5F14%5F2017%5F00%5FAL2017%5FMG-media%5F&WT.tsrc=MGmedia&linkId=34381647), the Gateses voiced concern about the effects of Trump’s “America First” doctrine and the Mexico City Policy, which Trump [reinstated last month](http://time.com/4644653/mexico-city-policy-global-gag-rule-abortion-donald-trump/). “We’re concerned that this shift could impact millions of women and girls around the world,” Melinda Gates said in an [interview with the _Guardian_](https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2017/feb/14/bill-and-melinda-gates-trumps-global-gag-rule-endangers-millions-women-girls-us-funding), about the Mexico City Policy. “It’s likely to have a negative effect on a broad range of health programs that provide lifesaving treatment and prevention options to those most in need.” The [Mexico City Policy](http://time.com/4644042/mexico-city-policy-abortion-womens-health/) prohibits the allocation of U.S. foreign aid to any nongovernmental organization abroad that discusses abortion as a family-planning option. Bill Gates told the _Guardian_ that the expansion of the policy “could create a void that even a foundation like ours can’t fill.” In an interview with [_USA Today_](http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/news/2017/02/14/bill-gates-new-nationalism-could-put-global-health-danger/97850484/), he also said Trump’s “America First” policy could mean a shift away from prioritizing African stability and American leadership on African issues. “With this new crowd, and with some of things they want to do fiscally, it just means we’re going to have to tell the story of how amazing this work is,” he said. Among the achievements cited in their letter, the Gateses said 86% of children worldwide now receive basic vaccines — the highest percentage in history. More than 300 million women in developing countries now use modern methods of contraception — also a first in history. And they predict that polio could finally be eradicated this year. The couple addressed their 2017 letter to Warren Buffett, who in 2006 donated $30 billion to the foundation — a donation so large that, to quote Bill and Melinda Gates, “it was the biggest single gift anyone ever gave anybody for anything.” Throughout their letter, the Gateses repeatedly reference Buffett’s love of a good deal. “Saving children’s lives is the best deal in philanthropy,” they said. “And if you want to know the best deal within the deal — it’s vaccines.” It’s a line that could function as an appeal to another businessman who famously prides himself on [making deals](http://time.com/4416768/tony-schwartz-laywer-trump/). While Trump has said he is “pro-vaccine,” he has also [spread the scientifically debunked claim](http://time.com/4630675/robert-f-kennedy-jr-donald-trump-vaccines/) that vaccinations are linked to autism. Both Melinda and Bill Gates have said they plan to work with Trump on issues that matter to them, including [climate change](http://fortune.com/video/2016/12/13/bill-gates-donald-trump-climate-change/) and [foreign aid](http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/sell-trump-on-foreign-aid-melinda-gates-vows-to-try/). And in their letter, they voiced optimism about the state of the world. “A lot of people feel the world is getting more fragmented, and we all can point to examples of that,” Melinda Gates said in the letter. “But if you look along a timeline, the periods of fragmentation often come when society is digesting its new diversity.” ## Transcript [ MUSIC ] What I think about is how am I purposeful with my children? Whether we had great wealth or we didn't have great wealth. My belief is if yo do that and you live your values out, they're gonna turn out okay. We volunteer together in the community. The kids and I have over time, at different projects that tug at their hearts in different ways. So I try to go where their passion is. he allowance that they get every week. A third of it has to be given away to a charity they save it up and then they decide what charity their gonna give it to you, and then we match whatever they give. And on their Christmas list it's not mandatory, but one of the things they've chosen to do on their wish list the last few years is you'll often find some organization. LIke Heifer International. I wanna give a flock of chicks to this family. I'm amazed how much that shows up on the list. 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