President Donald Trump’s administration is planning to spend $4 million to bolster right-wing media in Europe, part of a package of at least $25 million for civil society groups working on conservative causes in the region, according to four people familiar with the funding.
Tensions Rise Over Trump Administration Grants
The Trump administration’s recent grants are escalating tensions with European governments. Several leaders have accused Washington of meddling in their domestic affairs, raising concerns about U.S. influence abroad.
It comes as European countries prepare for elections over the next couple of years, and as the Trump administration openly backs Europe’s populist right-wing and far-right parties. The Trump administration has largely moved away from the traditional US promotion of democracy and human rights, focusing instead on economic and trade issues. The State Department notified Congress of its intent to allocate these funds on August 21, according to the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the plans.
The US State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL) says the funding is meant to strengthen transatlantic ties and promote free speech. Three million dollars were earmarked for a program to “document and analyze democratic backsliding in Europe as it relates to mass and illegal migration, the independent media landscape, and legislative agendas by supranational entities,” according to the people. A State Department spokesperson said that the DRL does not fund political parties and that the Trump administration remains committed to defending democracy and human rights around the world, including in Europe. “France and the Europeans will not tolerate any attempt at foreign interference in their electoral processes, regardless of where it comes from,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot wrote on X in July, in response to the funding announcements.
