US State Department proposes funding for European far‑right groups and white South African advocates

Under the Trump administration, State Department officials presented a list of organizations for direct grants that would bypass the usual open‑competition process. The proposed awards include at least a dozen grants to groups linked to conservative, anti‑immigration movements in Europe and to an Afrikaner organization advocating self‑governance for white South Africans. One program would allocate $4.9 million for “civilizational self‑confidence” research, conferences and cultural engagements in wealthy democracies, while separate proposals earmarked $2 million to counter perceived EU "censorship" of the Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act, $5 million for a “civilizational alliance,” and $7 million for a think‑tank.

U.S. lawmakers and State Department staff raised concerns that the funding would be used to influence political debates in allied countries. After congressional pushback, the State Department abandoned the plans. "I’ve never before seen U.S. government funding for such groups," said William Allchorn, a senior research fellow at Anglia Ruskin University, highlighting the unprecedented nature of the proposal.