Trump-era foreign aid to far‑right groups

In July 2026 the Trump administration drafted a $50 million package of foreign‑aid grants aimed at organisations it described as aligned with the MAGA movement. The proposals earmarked money for European groups opposing the EU’s Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act, a “civilizational alliance” in Europe, and a range of entities in Eastern Europe, the Balkans, Brazil and South Africa, including the Free Speech Union International and the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation.

State Department officials later detailed specific grants, such as $4.9 million for “civilizational self‑confidence” research, $2 million to counter EU digital‑policy censorship, $5 million for a civilizational alliance, $7 million for a think‑tank, and funding for an Afrikaner self‑governance group in South Africa. Lawmakers and department staff expressed alarm that the aid would be used to influence political debates in allied democracies.

Following congressional criticism, the State Department abandoned the initiative, noting the unprecedented nature of directly funding such far‑right and white‑advocacy organisations.

Nevertheless, a Financial Times report on 27 July 2026 indicated the administration was preparing a separate $2 million grant for an organization opposing EU tech regulation, a move described by analysts as foreign intervention and at odds with President Trump’s “America First” stance on overseas spending.