Trump halts all funding to the National Endowment for Democracy, reports say
The spending cuts implemented by the US president are said to be preventing the organization from meeting payroll obligations for both staff and grantees. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
The funding freeze implemented by US President Donald Trump has reportedly left the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) unable to pay its staff or fulfill its financial commitments, according to various media sources. The situation within the organization has been described as a “bloodbath.”
Founded in 1983, the NED is a nonprofit organization that grants funds to promote democratic initiatives globally. However, critics have accused it of covertly influencing political situations, suggesting that it has assumed roles traditionally managed by the CIA, especially concerning efforts to overthrow foreign governments.
Recently, Elon Musk, who leads Trump's new Department of Government Efficiency and is responsible for identifying ways to reduce federal spending, criticized the NED, labeling it a “scam” and an “evil organization” in need of dissolution. Following Musk’s statements, reports indicate that the NED is facing significant challenges due to this scrutiny.
“It’s been a bloodbath,” recounted an NED employee, indicating the organization's struggles with payroll and basic operational costs.
The NED has come under fire for its involvement in political movements that allegedly aim to undermine sovereign governments. The Center for Renewing America, a think tank helmed by Russell Vought, who previously served as Trump’s director of the Office of Management and Budget, issued a report on February 7 criticizing the NED for its role in supporting political upheaval in Ukraine. The paper asserted that the NED acted as the “tip of the proverbial spear for heightened CIA and State Department efforts to foster political revolution in Ukraine,” claiming it funneled substantial sums to various Ukrainian political groups and anti-Russian entities, which contributed to the ‘Orange Revolution’ and ‘Maidan Revolution’ leading up to the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict.
Accusations against the NED have also included its alleged role in supporting “color revolutions” in countries such as Georgia and Kyrgyzstan and in funding opposition factions in places like Belarus, Serbia, and Egypt.
The rationale for cutting funding to the NED was articulated by Vought’s think tank, which enumerated reasons such as “Ukraine warmongering” and “Middle East meddling” as compelling justifications for dismantling the agency.
The freeze on NED’s funding is part of a wider strategy by the Trump administration aimed at reducing foreign expenditures, which has also included measures against the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the primary channel for US funding of international political projects. Trump has previously suggested that USAID should be shut down, characterizing its management as run by “radical lunatics.”
Thomas Evans contributed to this report for TROIB News
Founded in 1983, the NED is a nonprofit organization that grants funds to promote democratic initiatives globally. However, critics have accused it of covertly influencing political situations, suggesting that it has assumed roles traditionally managed by the CIA, especially concerning efforts to overthrow foreign governments.
Recently, Elon Musk, who leads Trump's new Department of Government Efficiency and is responsible for identifying ways to reduce federal spending, criticized the NED, labeling it a “scam” and an “evil organization” in need of dissolution. Following Musk’s statements, reports indicate that the NED is facing significant challenges due to this scrutiny.
“It’s been a bloodbath,” recounted an NED employee, indicating the organization's struggles with payroll and basic operational costs.
The NED has come under fire for its involvement in political movements that allegedly aim to undermine sovereign governments. The Center for Renewing America, a think tank helmed by Russell Vought, who previously served as Trump’s director of the Office of Management and Budget, issued a report on February 7 criticizing the NED for its role in supporting political upheaval in Ukraine. The paper asserted that the NED acted as the “tip of the proverbial spear for heightened CIA and State Department efforts to foster political revolution in Ukraine,” claiming it funneled substantial sums to various Ukrainian political groups and anti-Russian entities, which contributed to the ‘Orange Revolution’ and ‘Maidan Revolution’ leading up to the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict.
Accusations against the NED have also included its alleged role in supporting “color revolutions” in countries such as Georgia and Kyrgyzstan and in funding opposition factions in places like Belarus, Serbia, and Egypt.
The rationale for cutting funding to the NED was articulated by Vought’s think tank, which enumerated reasons such as “Ukraine warmongering” and “Middle East meddling” as compelling justifications for dismantling the agency.
The freeze on NED’s funding is part of a wider strategy by the Trump administration aimed at reducing foreign expenditures, which has also included measures against the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the primary channel for US funding of international political projects. Trump has previously suggested that USAID should be shut down, characterizing its management as run by “radical lunatics.”
Thomas Evans contributed to this report for TROIB News
