Elton John says he's ready to 'fight' Trump over cuts to AIDS relief spending: 'People's lives at stake'

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM: Elton John has declared that he is ready to go "face to face" with President Donald Trump in a "fight" to protect global AIDS relief funding.

The 78-year-old music icon and longtime AIDS activist made his stance clear while speaking during a Q&A session at the London Palladium on Wednesday, March 26, while acknowledging the mounting threats to critical HIV/AIDS programs.

Elton John and Brandi Carlile marked the release of their collaborative album with a spectacular concert at the London Palladium featuring electrifying performances and a lively Q&A session hosted by 'Schitt’s Creek' star Dan Levy, according to the Independent. 

Elton John stresses diplomacy over criticism to protect AIDS funding

While Elton John refrained from outright criticizing the Trump administration, he admitted that the current political climate looks "a little shaky," the Daily Mail reported.

He explained that as a diplomat, his priority is ensuring continued support for programs like the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

"I cannot speak out about governments. I’m a diplomat," he stated.

"If I speak out about governments, then what's going to happen to the AIDS money? What's going to happen to PEPFAR [The US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief]?" he asked.

"I've got people's lives at stake," the musician added.

The 'Rocketman' singer emphasized his commitment to advocacy as he continued, "I have an AIDS foundation that depends on money, and I will go there and fight for it as much as I can."

"But I cannot go out and say, 'You're an a**hole. You're an a**hole.' That's not what it's about. You have to negotiate. You have to play the game," John added.

Elton John vows to defend PEPFAR, echoes Elizabeth Taylor’s HIV/AIDS activism

Elton John also praised former American presidents for their efforts in maintaining PEPFAR, a program that has been instrumental in fighting HIV/AIDS since its inception in 2003 under President George W Bush.

"To be fair to all the governments, since George W Bush, who initiated PEPFAR, to Donald Trump, they have kept PEPFAR going," he acknowledged.

"It looks a little shaky now. But I’m going to go there and fight for it, even if I have to go face to face, I will," the legendary musician said.

His determination evokes memories of the late actress Elizabeth Taylor, who famously lobbied in Washington, DC, to secure HIV/AIDS funding.

Taylor's activism was sparked by the death of her close friend, Rock Hudson, and she played a pivotal role in securing Senate support for the Ryan White CARE Act of 1990.

John, who helped establish PEPFAR two decades ago, now finds himself in a similar fight to protect the program’s future.

PEPFAR’s uncertain future 

Despite being exempt from sweeping cuts to US foreign aid under Donald Trump’s administration, PEPFAR has faced logistical setbacks, including a temporary halt and the suspension of its computer systems, as per AP News.

However, its continued survival remains precarious, particularly given its reliance on support from the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

The United Nations has warned that any weakening of PEPFAR could have devastating consequences.

Christian evangelical groups have also urged the Trump administration to spare the program from deep budget cuts.

Emily Chambers Sharpe, health director at World Relief, noted that healthcare centers in Africa are already feeling the impact.

She said, "The supply chain for HIV as a whole has been very badly damaged."

Doctors warn of healthcare crisis as PEPFAR disruptions leave patients without life-saving medications

On the frontlines, doctors reported an alarming deterioration in healthcare services.

Matthew Loftus, an evangelical Christian doctor working at a mission hospital in Kenya, described the situation as dire.

"PEPFAR is being dismantled, and many people will die as a result," he allegedly warned.

"In some places, they’re not getting the drugs or they’re being asked to pay cash for them. Other places are completely closed, and so patients are scrambling to find medications or they’re going without," he added.

The consequences of these disruptions, Loftus stressed, could be irreversible.

"Once you stop taking ARVs [antiretroviral drugs], within days the virus can come back online and then start developing resistance. I’m really scared that there are going to be a bunch of people who haven’t been taking their drugs, and then, when we try to start them back, we’re going to find that they’re resistant," he added.

An estimated 20 million people, primarily in Africa and parts of Asia, depend on life-saving medications supplied by PEPFAR, according to The Guardian.

As per Health Policy Watch, countries like Nigeria rely almost entirely on the program for HIV funding, while in other nations, PEPFAR provides critical healthcare infrastructure beyond HIV/AIDS treatment.