(Source : AP) The Trump administration has set its sights on federal government payments to major news outlets, including Politico, The New York Times, and The Associated Press, for subscriptions and content licensing. President Donald Trump, in a fiery post on his Truth Social platform Thursday, called the practice potentially “THE BIGGEST SCANDAL OF THEM ALL,” reigniting his long-standing feud with the media.
This latest move comes amid a series of clashes between the Trump administration and the press. Last week, the Defense Department evicted NPR, NBC, The New York Times, and Politico from their Pentagon workspaces. Trump has also continued to criticize CBS’s “60 Minutes” for its handling of an interview with former opponent Kamala Harris last fall. Additionally, concerns are mounting over the administration’s plans for Voice of America, a government-funded media outlet whose charter guarantees editorial independence.
A New Front in the Media Wars
This time, however, the administration is taking a different approach by tying federal spending to its criticism of the media. On Wednesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt revealed that the government had paid more than $8 million for Politico subscriptions and announced that Elon Musk’s government efficiency team is working to cancel those payments. The revelation sparked a social media frenzy, with online sleuths scrambling to uncover other examples of taxpayer dollars being spent on news content.
“The U.S. government must stop paying for media subscriptions. Now,” Richard Grenell, Trump’s special mission envoy, posted on X.
Trump, meanwhile, took to Truth Social to rail against what he called the “FAKE NEWS MEDIA,” accusing outlets of creating favorable stories about Democrats. “Did the New York Times receive money??? Who else did??? THIS COULD BE THE BIGGEST SCANDAL OF THEM ALL,” he wrote.
At a national prayer breakfast on Thursday, Trump doubled down, boasting about his administration’s efforts to scrutinize media spending. “We’re catching them left and right,” he said. “We’re catching them to a point where they don’t know what the heck is going on. They can’t believe they’re getting caught.”
News Outlets Push Back
Politico, in a statement from CEO Goli Sheikholeslami and Editor-in-Chief John Harris, defended the practice of government subscriptions as a standard transaction. “It is a transaction — just as the government buys research, equipment, software, and industry reports,” they said. “Some online voices are deliberately spreading falsehoods. Let’s be clear: Politico has no financial dependence on the government and no hidden agenda. We cover politics and policy — that’s our job.”
The New York Times also pushed back, revealing that it earned less than $2 million last year through government subscriptions, which are offered at a discounted rate. Through one arrangement, the Times provides access to more than 1 million active and retired military members and their families.
“These officials and other public servants are simply seeking to better understand the world through our independent journalism, like millions of other Americans,” said Times spokesman Charlie Stadtlander.
The Associated Press, another target of the administration’s criticism, emphasized that its relationship with the government is not unusual. “The U.S. government has long been an AP customer — through both Democratic and Republican administrations,” said AP spokeswoman Lauren Easton. “It licenses AP’s nonpartisan journalism, just like thousands of news outlets and customers around the world.”
Elon Musk Joins the Fray
Elon Musk, a frequent critic of mainstream media and owner of X (formerly Twitter), added fuel to the fire by retweeting a post accusing the AP of “raking in millions of dollars in government money for years.”
“Not for long,” Musk replied. “This is obviously a huge waste of taxpayer money.”
Musk’s involvement extends beyond media payments. His focus on cutting costs at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has threatened $268 million in congressionally authorized funding aimed at supporting independent journalists worldwide, including in war-torn Ukraine.
“Denying the money will create a vacuum that plays into the hands of propagandists and authoritarian states,” said Clayton Weimers, executive director of Reporters Without Borders’ USA branch.
A Common Practice Under Fire
Governments at both the federal and state levels have long subscribed to major media outlets to stay informed on critical issues. For example, the State Department relies on international news reporting for insights into global events, while agencies like the Department of Transportation use trade publications to track industry trends.
Politico’s Pro service, which provides real-time policy and legislative tracking, is one such tool used by government and private sector clients. However, the company declined to disclose how many subscriptions it has sold or their prices.
As the Trump administration continues its crackdown on media spending, the debate over the role of government in supporting journalism is likely to intensify. For now, news outlets remain defiant, insisting that their work serves the public interest—regardless of who pays for it.
