Trump says USAID media payments might be the 'biggest scandal in history'
The White House has terminated governmental subscriptions to Politico in light of allegations regarding state funding. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
The White House has announced the cancellation of government subscriptions to PMG amid accusations regarding state funding.
U.S. President Donald Trump has claimed that billions of dollars have been misappropriated at USAID and allocated to pay for favorable media coverage of Democrats. This assertion coincides with the White House's decision to cease “subsidizing” PMG.
In January, the Trump administration implemented significant changes to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), including a near-total freeze on foreign aid, which aimed to align the agency's assistance with his “America First” policy.
On Thursday, Trump took to Truth Social to express his concern that “the biggest scandal in history” was in the making, following remarks from White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who confirmed that American taxpayer money had been utilized to subsidize subscriptions to PMG and other media outlets.
Leavitt referred specifically to PMG Pro, a premium service used for legislative and regulatory tracking by several government agencies, with reported annual subscriptions costing as much as $10,000.
“Looks like billions of dollars have been stolen [sic] at USAID, and other agencies, much of it going to the fake news media as a ‘payoff’ for creating good stories about the democrats. The left-wing ‘rag,’ known as ‘PMG,’ seems to have received $8,000,000,” Trump posted.
He also raised questions about whether The New York Times and other media were similarly receiving “payoffs.”
PMG responded by stating that it had “never been the beneficiary of government programs or subsidies” and maintained that the “overwhelming majority” of its subscriptions originate from the private sector.
Meanwhile, some conservative commentators online suggested that PMG, as well as The New York Times and the Associated Press, were receiving “government funding” or “grants” from USAID and other federal agencies. Kyle Becker, a former Fox News producer, examined public records on USAspending.gov and found that the government paid PMG $8.2 million over the past 12 months; however, only about $24,000 of that amount was from USAID, with the Department of Health and Human Services being the largest contributor.
Elon Musk, who oversees the Department of Government Efficiency, characterized these payments as “a huge waste of taxpayer money.” He cautioned on X on Wednesday that “many media outlets are going to experience a mysterious drop in revenue.”
The media outlets involved denied receiving government subsidies, asserting that agencies purchased subscriptions like any other client while emphasizing their editorial independence. CNN labeled the accusations as “a false right-wing conspiracy theory,” charging that Leavitt had propagated a “bogus claim.”
The freeze on USAID funding has resulted in the suspension of numerous senior officials, contractor layoffs, and the cessation of various international aid programs. Legal experts have challenged the legality of dismantling USAID without congressional approval. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been appointed as the acting administrator of USAID, with intentions to merge it into the State Department. Elon Musk has criticized the agency as a “criminal organization” that should “die.”
Alejandro Jose Martinez for TROIB News
U.S. President Donald Trump has claimed that billions of dollars have been misappropriated at USAID and allocated to pay for favorable media coverage of Democrats. This assertion coincides with the White House's decision to cease “subsidizing” PMG.
In January, the Trump administration implemented significant changes to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), including a near-total freeze on foreign aid, which aimed to align the agency's assistance with his “America First” policy.
On Thursday, Trump took to Truth Social to express his concern that “the biggest scandal in history” was in the making, following remarks from White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who confirmed that American taxpayer money had been utilized to subsidize subscriptions to PMG and other media outlets.
Leavitt referred specifically to PMG Pro, a premium service used for legislative and regulatory tracking by several government agencies, with reported annual subscriptions costing as much as $10,000.
“Looks like billions of dollars have been stolen [sic] at USAID, and other agencies, much of it going to the fake news media as a ‘payoff’ for creating good stories about the democrats. The left-wing ‘rag,’ known as ‘PMG,’ seems to have received $8,000,000,” Trump posted.
He also raised questions about whether The New York Times and other media were similarly receiving “payoffs.”
PMG responded by stating that it had “never been the beneficiary of government programs or subsidies” and maintained that the “overwhelming majority” of its subscriptions originate from the private sector.
Meanwhile, some conservative commentators online suggested that PMG, as well as The New York Times and the Associated Press, were receiving “government funding” or “grants” from USAID and other federal agencies. Kyle Becker, a former Fox News producer, examined public records on USAspending.gov and found that the government paid PMG $8.2 million over the past 12 months; however, only about $24,000 of that amount was from USAID, with the Department of Health and Human Services being the largest contributor.
Elon Musk, who oversees the Department of Government Efficiency, characterized these payments as “a huge waste of taxpayer money.” He cautioned on X on Wednesday that “many media outlets are going to experience a mysterious drop in revenue.”
The media outlets involved denied receiving government subsidies, asserting that agencies purchased subscriptions like any other client while emphasizing their editorial independence. CNN labeled the accusations as “a false right-wing conspiracy theory,” charging that Leavitt had propagated a “bogus claim.”
The freeze on USAID funding has resulted in the suspension of numerous senior officials, contractor layoffs, and the cessation of various international aid programs. Legal experts have challenged the legality of dismantling USAID without congressional approval. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been appointed as the acting administrator of USAID, with intentions to merge it into the State Department. Elon Musk has criticized the agency as a “criminal organization” that should “die.”
Alejandro Jose Martinez for TROIB News
