Bill, Melinda Gates voice concerns over Trump’s “America First” view

NEW YORK, Feb. 15 — Bill and Melinda Gates Tuesday expressed
their concerns over U.S. President Donald Trump’s “America First”
philosophy in their annual letter to the world.

“More broadly, the America First worldview concerns me. It’s not that the
United States shouldn’t look out for its people. The question is how best
to do that,” said Bill.He said engaging with instead of withdrawing from
the world has proven over time to benefit everyone, including
Americans.”Even if we measured everything the government did only by how
much it helped American citizens, global engagement would still be a smart
investment,” said Bill.He also said the Trump administration’s policies
affect the foundation’s work in various areas, with “the most concrete
example” of foreign aid, which can create jobs at home, prevent disease
outbreaks from becoming epidemics, as well as make Americans more secure
and poor countries more stable.

Although the Bill and Melinda Foundation disagrees with the Trump
administration “more than the others we’ve met with,” Bill said, the couple
still believes that “it’s still important to work together whenever
possible.””We keep talking to them because if the U.S. cuts back on its
investments abroad, people in other countries will die, and Americans will
be worse off,” Bill added.Melinda, co-chair of the foundation, said one of
the duties of the president of the United States is to champion American
values on the world stage.The president has a responsibility to “set a good
example and empower all Americans through his statements and his policies,”
she said.The Gates made the statement in their annual letter answering the
“10 toughest questions” they had received. Since 2009, the couple has
published such correspondence with the world about their philanthropic work
and lessons learned each year. – XINHUA