Trump Administration Mulls Grants for MAGA-Aligned Free-Speech Projects Across Europe

The State Department draft, reviewed by the Financial Times, outlines a series of grants aimed at “bolstering freedom of speech” in the United Kingdom and Europe. The largest allocation—$40 million—would go to the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, a nonprofit with $12.1 million in assets. Additional earmarks include $2 million to challenge the EU’s Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act, $5 million for a “civilisational alliance” defending free expression and national sovereignty, $5 million for Toby Young’s Free Speech Union International (which has not formally applied), $2 million for groups in Eastern Europe and the Balkans, funding to counter judicial censorship in Brazil, $1 million for documenting human-rights abuses against ethnic minorities in South Africa, and $7 million for 878, a British-American think tank co-founded by Jacob Rees-Mogg.

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The proposal follows a broader overhaul of U.S. foreign-aid priorities under the Donald Trump administration, which seeks to redirect resources toward initiatives aligned with the “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) movement. It arrives shortly after the European Commission fined Elon Musk’s platform X €120 million for alleged violations of the Digital Services Act, signaling heightened U.S. interest in European digital-policy debates.

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The State Department, when queried, declined immediate comment but later affirmed that “all programs remain ‘in active deliberation.’” No formal applications have been received from some listed recipients, such as the Free Speech Union International.

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The Financial Times reported that senior officials were “surprised” by the draft, noting that “there are no actual plans to provide the funding” and that the document was prepared by a junior staffer. Critics highlight the mismatch between the proposed grant sizes and the modest assets of intended recipients, raising concerns about fiscal prudence and the strategic rationale for intervening in European free-speech disputes.

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• “civilisational alliance” — grant proposal

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• “civilisational partnership” — 878 website description

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• “The Financial Times, citing a source, reported that there are no actual plans to provide the funding, and that the document was drafted by a junior State Department staffer, surprising some senior officials.” — Financial Times (citing a source)

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• “in active deliberation.” — State Department

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