White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Wednesday that the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has provided funding to multiple media outlets, including Politico. The revelation comes as the Trump administration moves to shut down USAID on the recommendation of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Leavitt stated that over $8 million in taxpayer funds had been allocated to subsidizing media subscriptions, a practice the White House intends to stop immediately.
“I was made aware that the funding from USAID to media outlets, including Politico, who I know has a seat in this room,” she said. “I can confirm that more than $8 million taxpayer dollars that have gone to essentially subsidizing subscriptions to Politico on the American taxpayers’ dime will no longer be happening. The DOGE team is working on canceling those payments now.”
USAID, historically tasked with international development and humanitarian assistance, has drawn scrutiny over its role in funding domestic entities, including media companies. The decision to shut down USAID aligns with broader efforts by the Trump administration to streamline government spending, reduce waste, and expose deep state corruption.
Elon Musk has been an outspoken critic of USAID, calling it a “criminal organization,” further stating it was “Time for it to die.” Since the dissolution of USAID, DOGE has uncovered not only the cash flow going to fund an anti-Trump “news” site, but also DEI efforts abroad including:
- $20 million on a new Sesame Street show in Iraq
- $6 million to fund tourism in Egypt
- $4.5 million to combat disinformation in Kazakhstan
- $2.5M to promote DEI in Serbia
- $2 million for sex changes in Guatemala
- $70K for a DEI musical in Ireland
- $32K for a trans comic book in Peru
The Democratic Party of ‘transparency’ has expressed their outrage against the actions of Musk as he has uncovered the deep state corruption and mishandling of taxpayer funds in recent years.
The White House has not yet provided a timeline for USAID’s shutdown but emphasized that financial ties between the government and media organizations would be severed immediately.
