Trump administration to support 'independent journalism' in Europe with anti-immigrant focus
For-profit entities are eligible to receive $1 million from the State Department, which envisions "substantial involvement" in the project.
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The U.S. State Department is seeking to build out a consortium for "independent journalism" that will produce critical reporting on public policies in European countries, with a particular focus on immigration, "civilizational values" and "the state of sovereignty."
President Donald Trump has not tried to hide his disdain for most European governments. "Your countries are going to hell," he declared in a September 2025 speech at the United Nations, stating that Europe's "open borders" — a claim at odds with Europe's highly visible efforts to dissuade and deport immigrants — are leading to societal collapse. Vice President J.D. Vance has also openly campaigned for right-wing opposition parties across the continent, including the neo-fascist Alternative für Deutschland.
Now the Trump administration is seeking to bolster its critique of Europe under the guise of journalism.
As part of a grant opportunity posted Aug. 18, the State Department's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor announced it was looking for a partner — possibly including "[f]or-profit organizations or businesses" — that could help it "develop an independent journalism consortium in Europe." According to the listing, the grant, valued at $1 million, will be awarded as part of a "cooperative agreement" just two weeks after the funding opportunity was first publicized. Applications are due by September 1.
"Well-informed citizens are key to the health of any democratic system," the State Department says in a document that lays out the criteria for the grant, describing "independent journalism" as "essential to provide the public with high-quality, objective information about government actions." The development of a "consortium of journalists and independent media organizations across the European Union (EU) and other European countries" is needed, it says, given the threat of "censorship of disfavored media outlets" by European governments.
Charles R. Davis
In July, the Financial Times reported that the Trump administration planned to hand out almost $5 million to "MAGA-aligned European groups" to opine on issues like migration and "our common western civilizational heritage."
However, a review by The Redoubt shows that the State Department has now made more than $7.9 million in such funding available, including a grant worth almost $2 million, offered Aug. 14, for an analysis of how "foreign governments and their proxies weaponize migration."
While ostensibly nonpartisan — a requirement of federal law on foreign assistance — the "independent journalism" consortium would also produce content with a reactionary appeal. The State Department suggests that U.S.-funded reporters could, among other things, cover the "impact of mass migration on safety and rule of law" and "the role of government policy in contributing to mass migration." The content would also appear to be slanted against the EU itself, with reporters, as part of their "national sovereignty" coverage, producing work that addresses "attitudes toward national identities vis-a-vis a supra-national 'European' identity, and the role and impact of European policies on national-level freedoms and politics."
The State Department envisions close collaboration between the Trump administration and the recipients of its largesse. Should the money be offered as part of a "cooperative agreement," the department would insist on "substantial involvement" in the project, including the right to "approve key personnel."
The State Department "will play an active role in shaping overall program strategy," it says, ensuring "alignment with U.S. strategic objectives."
The grant for Trump-aligned media comes after the White House and Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency eliminated the United States Agency for International Development, or USAID, and froze some $268 million in congressionally-authorized funding for independent media, per Harvard University's Nieman Foundation for Journalism. Previous grants had supported independent journalism in authoritarian and war-torn states such as Syria and Myanmar but were deemed not to be "fully aligned with the foreign policy" of the Trump administration.
In comments to The Redoubt, the State Department defended its funding for MAGA-friendly journalism in Europe, framing it as a counter to "censorship" and the ostracizing of "disfavored journalists or outlets."
"Under this administration, we have been clear that defending free speech is a priority," a spokesperson claimed, though the White House is itself trying to strip broadcast licenses from stations that air critics of the president. Above all, the spokesperson said, U.S. taxpayer money going to right-leaning content creators serves "American foreign policy priorities."
"The Independent Journalism Consortium program closely aligns with the Trump administration's foreign policy objectives in Europe," the spokesperson said. They cited a national security strategy document, released last year, that avowed U.S. support for "patriotic European parties” like Germany's AfD.
"The administration prioritizes democracy and freedom of expression," the spokesperson said, "in the European region."
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