A major storm erupted when Donald Trump, in one of his first executive orders, suspended all U.S.-funded foreign aid programs and assistance for 90 days. According to the Republican administration that took office on January 20, USAID had operated for years as a Democratic propaganda hub, funneling millions of dollars to the party’s ideological allies. As previously reported by Magyar Nemzet, in the spirit of "soft power," the Democrats allocated substantial financial resources to winning over the press as well.
Thousands of journalists on the payroll
One of the primary methods of U.S. influence in recent years has been the financing of local media outlets across various parts of the world. This was confirmed by a February 3, 2025 article published on the website of Reporters Without Borders, an NGO, which stated: "USAID programs provide support to independent media in more than 30 countries. (...) According to a USAID fact sheet, in 2023, the agency funded the training and support of 6,200 journalists, assisted 707 non-state news agencies, and supported 279 NGOs in the media sector working to strengthen independent media.”
Politico's key role
Data available on the usaspending.gov website reveals that the Biden administration paid millions of dollars to the media outlet Politico over the past few years. In 2024 alone, the U.S. government spent a total of $8.2 million on Politico subscriptions. The newspaper also received $44,000 from USAID in 2023-2024, again for subscriptions.
However, providing financial backing to the paper was not merely a domestic matter, as Politico’s European branch has become one of the most dominant players in the Brussels media landscape. It has done everything in its power to serve the political interests of U.S. Democrats, providing a platform for progressive, federalist actors and ideas while seeking to discredit patriotic forces within the EU.
Politico’s influence is evident not only in its role as a thought leader and reference point for Europe’s left wing, but also in its ability to exert pressure on Brussels' key leftist politicians whenever it aligned with the agenda of U.S. Democrats.
BBC also received millions of dollars
BBC Media Action—an entity affiliated with the BBC but claiming editorial independence from BBC News and positioning itself as an international charity—received approximately $3,2 million from USAID in the 2023-2024 fiscal year, making the agency its second-largest donor. This sum accounted for 8% of the organization’s total revenue. Additionally, in the 2022-2023 fiscal year, BBC Media Action also received over $2.3 million from USAID.
It's important to note that, according to its own website, BBC Media Action supports local media outlets worldwide with the goal of “providing reliable information to those in greatest need.”
