US State Dept Sends Millions to Rightwing European Thinktanks
As USAID aid abroad was slashed, the State Department is funneling millions of taxpayer dollars to conservative groups in the UK and Europe, drawing accusations of foreign political meddling.
The US State Department intends to grant $12 million to conservative organizations in the United Kingdom, according to Guardian reporting cited in the piece, even as the Trump administration has slashed humanitarian aid abroad through the dismantling of USAID.
Of that $12 million, $7 million is earmarked for a group called 878, co-founded by former Conservative minister and TV host Jacob Rees-Mogg, whose net worth is estimated at more than £100 million. The organization describes itself as a "leading British and American thinktank" dedicated to strengthening the "civilizational partnership" between the two countries. A former US official told the Guardian that normal funding processes are being subverted to route money to Trump-aligned causes.
Separately, millions in grants are being offered for proposals from groups across Europe aimed at developing "civilizational self-confidence" and addressing "national sovereignty, migration, censorship, and lawfare" in what the funding calls describe as a shared political philosophy. Researcher Zsuzsanna Végh told the i Paper the calls follow extensive networking between MAGA-aligned Americans and like-minded European figures. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned the Trump administration against interfering in German elections following the announcement of such grants.
The US embassy in London is also offering grants of up to $500,000 for "public education" programs meant to foster a "national conversation" about shared values between the UK and US. A recently departed State Department official told the Guardian the effort appears designed to "create UK-originated narratives to support Maga propaganda." Liberal Democrat MP Lisa Smart accused the funding of "meddling in our democracy."
The pattern extends beyond funding. The Conservative Political Action Conference, once a domestic US event, has expanded internationally, holding its first British conference last month under former Prime Minister Liz Truss. Former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem publicly endorsed Karol Nawrocki's successful presidential bid in Poland at a CPAC event in Warsaw last year.
This article was produced with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI), in accordance with our editorial policy.
