The Donald Trump administration is reportedly preparing grants for MAGA-aligned projects in Europe as it overhauls US foreign aid priorities.
According to a state department notice reviewed by the Financial Times, the core objective of the grants is to bolster freedom of speech in the UK and Europe, which the administration claims is under attack.
MAGA is an acronym for “Make America Great Again,” a political movement and slogan popularized by Trump during his US presidential campaigns.
The report said the largest grant, $40 million, would go to the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, a nonprofit established by Congress whose latest tax filing showed total assets of just $12.1 million.
Free Speech Push Targets EU Digital Rules
Other funding includes $2 million to challenge the European Union’s Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act, and $5 million for a “civilisational alliance” focused on defending free expression and national sovereignty. Conservative life peer Toby Young‘s Free Speech Union International is also set to receive $5 million, although it has not formally applied for the grant.
The proposal also earmarks $2 million for groups in Eastern Europe and the Balkans, funding to counter judicial censorship in Brazil amid the Bolsonaro case, and $1 million to document human rights abuses against ethnic minorities in South Africa.
The State Department did not immediately respond to Benzinga‘s request for comment.
A separate notification includes a $7 million earmark for 878, a British-American think tank co-founded by Jacob Rees-Mogg, a former Conservative cabinet minister, whose website describes it as dedicated to strengthening the “civilisational partnership” between the UK and the US.
The Financial Times, citing a source, reported that there are no actual plans to provide the funding, and that the document was drafted by a junior State Department staffer, surprising some senior officials.
The state department said all programs remain “in active deliberation.”
The grants plan follows the European Commission’s €120 million ($140 million) fine against Elon Musk‘s X over alleged Digital Services Act violations.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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