this post was submitted on 01 Sep 2026
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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.

The grants risk deepening tensions between the Trump administration and European governments, some of which have already accused Washington of interfering in their domestic politics.

The U.S. ​State Department's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL) says the funding is meant to strengthen transatlantic ties and promote ​free speech. 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.

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[–] x00z@lemmy.world 18 points 3 days ago

This is an attack on Europe.

[–] usernameunnecessary@lemmy.zip 79 points 4 days ago (6 children)

We ought to come down hard on this and deal with it with the seriousness it deserves. They can keep their swamp on their side, even though we've been dealing with the spill off of their shit for too long.

[–] NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io 42 points 4 days ago (13 children)

Sorry to tell you but the swamp is emerging everywhere (in the first world anyway) all at once. Trump and co. definitely aren't helping, but European far-right politics are definitely not an American import.

[–] Malica@lemmy.zip 13 points 3 days ago

These people are all working together, organized and well funded.

[–] BreakerSwitch@lemmy.world 4 points 3 days ago (2 children)

They might have already been there, but American oligarchs like Elon, and now the US government pouring money into them is certainly enabling them. They may not be an American import, but they're being American grown.

[–] Jiral@lemmy.world 3 points 3 days ago

Yes but not by that much, they are already swimming in money rganks to Russia and some right extreme European oligarchs. 4mio from the US regime are pocket money for them.

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[–] troyunrau@lemmy.ca 11 points 3 days ago

$4M is nothing. That's like 50 bloggers in western Europe, or one regional rag with no readers. Or a Twitter troll farm in Hungary with 100 totally real humans and their handlers getting rich siphoning most of it off for themselves. A literal drop in the bucket.

The US has been funding foreign media for a century at least, steering narratives. It was part of their soft power strategy. This isn't surprising. Where people are freaking out is due to the shift in alignment.

[–] blattrules@lemmy.world 42 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Why are tax dollars being spent for this? This is bullshit.

[–] bedwyr@piefed.ca 22 points 4 days ago (1 children)

This is only what we know about, he CIA will be neck deep in trying to help their fascists over the top.

Phones will be compromised with pegasus level spying I strongly presume, and information used to help the fascists for instance. Idc about scandals, but I wouldn't put anything past them at this point. I could see them manufacturing scandals against the opponents of their tool politicians they and russia are pushing.

[–] Maeve@kbin.earth 2 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Phones will be compromised with pegasus level spying I strongly presume, and information used to help the fascists for instance

Probably best to assume that's already happening, en masse.

[–] bedwyr@piefed.ca 2 points 3 days ago

We both know it.

[–] JasonDJ@lemmy.zip 45 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

Airing Sesame Street in the Middle East was one of the most effective western propaganda tactics of all time and this chucklefuck shredded it.

And replaced it with this.

Too many bad things happen when you teach women and children they don't need to be sex slaves, I guess.

[–] Prior_Industry@lemmy.world 29 points 4 days ago (3 children)

Isn't this the shit they accuse Soros of?

[–] NABDad@lemmy.world 16 points 3 days ago (1 children)

You don't understand. They say Soros uses his own money. Trump is using ours.

I don't know why that's better, but it seems to be.

[–] Maeve@kbin.earth 3 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Soros isn't a good guy, either.

[–] NABDad@lemmy.world 2 points 3 days ago

I agree. Bastard still owes me for all the protesting.

[–] TankovayaDiviziya@lemmy.world 7 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

I made a meme echoing the hypocrisy and double standards of the right. They're asleep when billionaires fund apocalypse-accelerating movements but roar when it's billionaires funding progressives.

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[–] nogooduser@lemmy.world 36 points 4 days ago (56 children)

If Europe made a similar statement about bolstering left wing media in the US he’d go nuts accusing them of election interference.

[–] wirebeads@lemmy.ca 18 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

They literally did this with a Canadian commercial airing a Raegan area ~~terror~~ tariff statement and tried to blame us for interfering.

Their kettle is charred.

Edit- Corrected spelling

[–] metermatic26@lemmy.world 8 points 4 days ago

That is actually a stroke of brilliance.

4 million is a lot of money, but it is also a pathetically low amount if you’re trying to make a dent in European politics

In fact, there are so many leftists in Europe -who would jump at the chance of publicly humiliating Trump- that I honestly believe you could raise 4 million just by starting some sort of kickstarter.

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[–] Alexfire@lemmy.world 18 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

This is how those with the power have done it for ages and want it to remain. Scapegoat minorities and immigrants for all issues, make people angry, offer only hope of fix is to double down and be more harsh, austerity, sacrifice for country, etc, which gets more people fearful and go against what actually works better for healthy humanity, and for the dictatorship. Look at other current countries and in the past, and how maga has caused regression on human health and democracy measures. It's a pattern visible if you're awake.

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[–] CyroSignal@lemmy.world 6 points 3 days ago

So they're funding the right-wing...

[–] datendefekt@feddit.org 6 points 3 days ago

Just in time to compensate for Germany‘s closing of the Russian House and Consulate.

[–] merdaverse@lemmy.zip 3 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)
  • USA in 2025: let's cut funding to state sponsored propaganda like Radio Free Europe (good riddance) **
  • USA in 2026: let's give funding to state sponsored propaganda

** Funny story: in Romania, Radio Free Europe, preachers of the free market for decades, shut down after they couldn't survive for 3 months on the free market without propaganda money from the American state. And in Czech Republic, the state bailed them out.

[–] LodeMike@lemmy.today 6 points 3 days ago (1 children)

First amendment violation. I'd be surprisrd if this wasn't struck down

[–] adarza@lemmy.ca 8 points 3 days ago (1 children)

where ya been lately? this scRotus majority, ruling objectively and on facts?

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[–] Sibshops@feddit.cl 15 points 4 days ago (1 children)

So they shut down independent news like Voice of America, and are replacing it with state propaganda.

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[–] formergijoe@lemmy.world 3 points 3 days ago

Well SOMEBODY's gotta use state funding to push facisim in Europe now that Orban's out of office. /s

[–] Jiral@lemmy.world 8 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 children)

Laughable amount compared to what Russia is spending on disinformation outlets in the EU. I am pretty confident that they would fund mostly those that are already supported plentifully by Russia anyway.

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