On Wednesday, February 5, Elon Musk, head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), along with some journalists and conservative influencers, criticized media outlets such as Politico, The New York Times, and the Associated Press for receiving substantial federal funding in recent years. This has raised concerns among the public about whether federal funding is affecting the independence of the media, sparking ongoing debates in American society.
The controversy began when right-wing journalist Benny Johnson revealed on X platform that Politico failed to pay its employees on time for the first time, hinting at a direct correlation with the termination of funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Johnson criticized Politico’s management for attributing the delayed salaries to a “technical glitch” instead of acknowledging the real reason as the loss of government funds.
He also shared a screenshot of an internal email from Politico informing employees of the delayed salaries, attributing the issue to a “technical error.”
In addition to Johnson, conservative journalist Liz Wheeler expressed concern on X platform about Politico receiving not only $8 million from USAID but also $34.3 million from various federal government agencies.
Renowned entrepreneur and investor Mario Nawfal questioned why 37 FDA employees used government funds to subscribe to Politico Pro, resulting in taxpayers spending over $500,000. Musk reposted Nawfal’s post, stating, “This is not an efficient use of taxpayer funds. This wasteful spending will be eliminated.”
During a White House press briefing, when asked about government payments to the media, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt revealed that the USAID had provided over $8 million in taxpayer funds to media organizations, including Politico. She confirmed that this practice of subsidizing Politico’s subscription fees would be ceased, with the DOGE team working to cancel these payments.
Accusations against Politico have also extended to other media organizations, with some conservative commentators claiming that the Associated Press has also been receiving government funding for years.
Independent journalist and news commentator Kyle Becker posted on X platform that not only Politico but the Associated Press has also received millions in government funding annually.
Musk shared Becker’s post, stating, “This situation will not continue for long. This is clearly a huge waste of taxpayer money!”
The New York Times also came under scrutiny.
Right-wing journalist and political commentator Ian Miles Cheong disclosed on the social platform X that the U.S. government has provided the New York Times with tens of millions of dollars in funding over the past five years.
According to Cheong, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) was the largest donor, followed by the National Science Foundation (NSF).
Cheong expressed concerns about this funding, suggesting that it is being used to “prop up” a struggling newspaper whose news content supports specific political agendas, such as pro-Ukraine, anti-Trump, anti-Musk, among others.
He noted that the timing of these grants coincided with key political events, including the outbreak of the Ukraine war and the 2024 U.S. presidential election.
To support his claims, Cheong provided screenshots of fund flows from USAspending.gov, a government platform established under the 2014 DATA Act to track federal expenditures and provide public access to cross-agency federal spending data. The platform offers financial data from over 100 federal agencies, aiming to facilitate public oversight of government spending.
These controversies come at a time when U.S. government spending is facing increasing scrutiny. Musk, appointed by Trump to lead the Department of Government Efficiency, aims to eliminate or streamline unnecessary government departments to save on U.S. fiscal expenditure. Trump also mentioned the possibility of collaborating with Congress to dissolve the U.S. Department of Education.
Musk reposted Cheong’s post, stating, “The New York Times is a media funded by the (Biden) government.”
Reporters from Epoch Times have reached out to The New York Times, Politico, and the Associated Press for comments.
Lauren Easton, spokesperson and Vice President of Communications at the Associated Press, stated, “The Associated Press is an independent, non-profit global news organization. For years, the U.S. government has been a customer of the AP—both under Democratic and Republican administrations.”
She clarified that the government funds paid are for purchasing rights to use AP reports, a common practice among thousands of news organizations and other customers worldwide.
As of the reporter’s deadline, The New York Times and Politico had not responded to the allegations.