The U.S. Department of State traditionally allocated funds to organizations protecting free speech, human rights, and persecuted minorities in poor and authoritarian countries. Funding decisions were typically made by expert staff through open competitions focused on abuses under repressive regimes.

However, in 2026, Trump administration officials presented their own list of organizations to be funded, aiming to direct taxpayer dollars to groups aligned with conservative and anti-immigration movements in Europe, as well as advocates for white South Africans. Among these were a British free-speech organization opposing bans on “gay conversion therapy” and an Afrikaner group led by a controversial figure advocating for self-governance of South Africa's white ethnic minority.

This approach represents a stark departure from traditional aid that supported victims of torture, rape, political violence, and other abuses in oppressive countries, according to more than a dozen former State Department employees.

The shift toward Western-focused causes was exemplified by a proposed grant to a British American think tank dedicated to “renewing our Judeo-Christian culture and civilisational mission.” After congressional pushback, the State Department abandoned this plan.

Over the past 18 months, a key official named Samson courted far-right leaders in Europe, viewing the U.S. and Europe as sharing a “common civilizational struggle.” He has defended the agency’s grantmaking plans in private meetings with lawmakers.

Documents reviewed by ProPublica reveal a $5 million grant intended to combat “digital overregulation,” support individuals facing “deplatforming,” and advocate against “restrictive online safety and hate speech laws.” When questioned about the award and its management, the foundation named in the documents said it was unaware of the proposed funding but remarked, “if true, the 100 million victims murdered by communism in the past, and another 1.5 billion men, women, and children still enduring communism today will rejoice.”

This redirection of human rights aid toward right-wing causes in Europe and advocacy for white South Africans has drawn scrutiny and marks a significant change in U.S. foreign aid priorities.

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