Trump State Department Plans $12 Million for 3 UK Conservative-Linked Groups
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jul 17
Trump State Department Plans $12 Million for 3 UK Conservative-Linked Groups
1 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jul 17
Summary
$12 million in planned State Department grants would go to three UK groups tied to Conservative figures, including $7 million for Jacob Rees-Mogg-founded 878 and $5 million for Toby Young’s Free Speech Union International.
The funding is framed in US documents as support for favored European partners on issues such as mass migration, free speech and overregulation, with another $3 million earmarked for the Jobs Foundation.
Both headline awards are structured as sole-source grants without competition, though the State Department said they remain under active deliberation and must pass its standard vetting process.
Five former US officials told the Guardian the effort reflects a broader push by Trump-aligned officials to steer taxpayer money toward conservative and Maga-aligned causes in Europe, calling the process improper and wasteful.
The planned awards risk friction with Europe and Britain’s incoming Labour government after Germany’s Friedrich Merz warned against US interference in elections and Andy Burnham vowed to confront Trump over disagreements.