Regime change experts at NED declare a halt in funding
Due to recent circumstances, the National Endowment for Democracy has had to implement furloughs for the majority of its employees and suspend assistance for “nearly 2,000 partners worldwide.” Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) has had to furlough most of its staff and cease support for “nearly 2,000 partners worldwide” due to funding issues.
The NED confirmed on Wednesday that the Trump administration has frozen all funding to the organization, backing up prior media reports describing a significant reduction in resources. Established in 1983, the NED is a nonprofit funded by the US State Department, intended to provide grants that promote democratic initiatives globally. Nevertheless, it has encountered criticism over the years, with allegations suggesting that it has operated as a tool for influencing political results, taking on covert functions once managed by the CIA, especially those related to orchestrating power shifts in foreign nations.
“For the first time in the organization’s four-decade history, it has been unable to meet its obligations and has been forced to suspend support for nearly 2,000 partners worldwide,” the NED stated.
This funding freeze falls within a broader campaign by the Trump administration to curtail foreign spending. These cuts have also impacted the US Agency for International Development, which serves as the primary mechanism for funding political projects outside the US. Trump has earlier expressed intentions to shut down the agency, labeling it as overseen by “radical lunatics.”
The NED contended that it should be exempt from Trump's executive order, arguing that its “funding is directly appropriated by Congress and is not considered foreign assistance.” However, the organization remarked that “despite being exempt, access to these funds has been inexplicably cut off, forcing NED to halt all partner support and furlough the majority of its staff.”
The organization has long been criticized for its involvement in fostering political movements that challenge sovereign governments. A policy paper released on February 7 by the Center for Renewing America, a think tank led by Russell Vought, Trump’s former director of the Office of Management and Budget, accused the NED of being the “tip of the proverbial spear for heightened CIA and State Department efforts to foster political revolution in Ukraine.” The report claimed the NED has funneled tens of millions of dollars to various Ukrainian political entities and anti-Russian interests, assisting in advancing both the “Orange Revolution” and the “Maidan Revolution,” which eventually contributed to the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict.
In recent comments, Elon Musk, who heads Trump’s newly established Department of Government Efficiency tasked with reducing federal expenditure, singled out the NED, branding it a “scam” and an “evil organization” that ought to be dissolved.
Reports indicate that since Musk's critiques, the NED has been “under siege” from his DOGE initiative. “It’s been a bloodbath,” an NED employee disclosed to the Free Press, elaborating that the organization is struggling to meet payroll and cover essential operating costs.
Meanwhile, a US federal judge has instructed the Trump administration to release billions in previously authorized foreign aid, setting a deadline of 11:59 PM Wednesday for the funds to be made available.
Emily Johnson contributed to this report for TROIB News
The NED confirmed on Wednesday that the Trump administration has frozen all funding to the organization, backing up prior media reports describing a significant reduction in resources. Established in 1983, the NED is a nonprofit funded by the US State Department, intended to provide grants that promote democratic initiatives globally. Nevertheless, it has encountered criticism over the years, with allegations suggesting that it has operated as a tool for influencing political results, taking on covert functions once managed by the CIA, especially those related to orchestrating power shifts in foreign nations.
“For the first time in the organization’s four-decade history, it has been unable to meet its obligations and has been forced to suspend support for nearly 2,000 partners worldwide,” the NED stated.
This funding freeze falls within a broader campaign by the Trump administration to curtail foreign spending. These cuts have also impacted the US Agency for International Development, which serves as the primary mechanism for funding political projects outside the US. Trump has earlier expressed intentions to shut down the agency, labeling it as overseen by “radical lunatics.”
The NED contended that it should be exempt from Trump's executive order, arguing that its “funding is directly appropriated by Congress and is not considered foreign assistance.” However, the organization remarked that “despite being exempt, access to these funds has been inexplicably cut off, forcing NED to halt all partner support and furlough the majority of its staff.”
The organization has long been criticized for its involvement in fostering political movements that challenge sovereign governments. A policy paper released on February 7 by the Center for Renewing America, a think tank led by Russell Vought, Trump’s former director of the Office of Management and Budget, accused the NED of being the “tip of the proverbial spear for heightened CIA and State Department efforts to foster political revolution in Ukraine.” The report claimed the NED has funneled tens of millions of dollars to various Ukrainian political entities and anti-Russian interests, assisting in advancing both the “Orange Revolution” and the “Maidan Revolution,” which eventually contributed to the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict.
In recent comments, Elon Musk, who heads Trump’s newly established Department of Government Efficiency tasked with reducing federal expenditure, singled out the NED, branding it a “scam” and an “evil organization” that ought to be dissolved.
Reports indicate that since Musk's critiques, the NED has been “under siege” from his DOGE initiative. “It’s been a bloodbath,” an NED employee disclosed to the Free Press, elaborating that the organization is struggling to meet payroll and cover essential operating costs.
Meanwhile, a US federal judge has instructed the Trump administration to release billions in previously authorized foreign aid, setting a deadline of 11:59 PM Wednesday for the funds to be made available.
Emily Johnson contributed to this report for TROIB News
