Joe Biden implemented a lot of radical policies as president. But this one may take the cake.
And Biden’s legacy is torn to shreds after the White House just reversed this insane policy.
Politico’s Government Funding Raises Questions About Media Independence
Politico, a publication founded in 2007 and acquired by a German media conglomerate in 2021, has been discovered to have received financial backing from the U.S. government. Despite its broad reach across the U.S., U.K., Canada, and the EU, Politico has been quietly benefiting from taxpayer dollars through government-purchased subscriptions used across multiple federal agencies.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed on Wednesday that Politico would no longer have these subscriptions subsidized by the federal government. The revelation followed investigative reporting by Kyle Becker, who exposed that Politico had received $8.1 million from multiple government agencies and subagencies through 237 transactions.
Among the entities purchasing these subscriptions were the Department of Health and Human Services, Department of the Interior, Department of Energy, Department of Agriculture, Department of Commerce, Food and Drug Administration, Department of Transportation, and the Department of State, which ranked as the second-largest purchaser. Many of these funds were directed toward PoliticoPro, a premium service offering policy insights, legislative tracking, and customized analysis designed to “drive your policy forward.”
Elon Musk weighed in on the issue, sharing Becker’s findings on X and declaring, “Not for long. This is obviously a huge waste of taxpayer money!” Musk has been making deep funding cuts across various government programs, with USAID, now under the control of the State Department, being one of the most notable targets.
Financial records from USSpending.gov reveal that Politico, classified under Internet Publishing and Broadcasting, received these funds from 2016 through 2024, with the largest influx occurring from 2020 to 2024. However, the funding sees a sharp decline for fiscal year 2025. This shift aligns with the Trump administration’s recent cancellation of certain domestic enterprise funding via a memo from the Office of Management and Budget—though that order was later rescinded.
Politico’s coverage has long exhibited an anti-Trump stance. One of the most notorious examples occurred in 2020, when the outlet published a letter signed by 51 former and current intelligence officials asserting that the Hunter Biden laptop story bore the “hallmarks” of “Russian disinformation.” That letter, however, was initiated at the request of then-Biden campaign aide Antony Blinken, who suggested that the official who organized the signatures draft a letter dismissing the laptop’s authenticity. Blinken went on to become the Secretary of State after Joe Biden won the 2020 election, and Politico amplified the now-discredited letter.
While major outlets such as NPR, The Washington Post, and The New York Times eventually admitted their errors in dismissing the laptop story, Politico never made such an admission. Under the Trump administration, all 51 signatories had their security clearances taken away.
The fact that taxpayer dollars were funding a publication with a distinct ideological leaning is deeply concerning, particularly given its influence on the very government officials responsible for shaping policy. The federal government was, in effect, subsidizing the dissemination of anti-Trump, anti-conservative perspectives to decision-makers at the highest levels.
A Growing Crisis of Trust in Mainstream Media
This revelation serves as yet another example of why Americans are rapidly losing trust in the mainstream media. The notion that an outlet with a clear partisan slant was benefiting from government funds directly contradicts the principles of an independent press.
When news organizations are financially entangled with the same government entities they are supposed to scrutinize, it raises serious ethical concerns about bias, influence, and integrity.
Public trust in media has been in steady decline for years, with polls consistently showing a record low percentage of Americans expressing confidence in mainstream news outlets. The exposure of Politico’s financial ties to government agencies only reinforces the perception that the media is no longer an independent watchdog but rather an extension of the political establishment.
This case also echoes previous incidents where major news organizations aligned themselves with political narratives rather than prioritizing journalistic objectivity. The Hunter Biden laptop story is a prime example, where the press, rather than investigating, chose to deny the story because it was politically convenient for Joe Biden and the Left. When the truth finally emerged, the damage had already been done—election outcomes were influenced, and public discourse was shaped by misinformation.
The implications of this extend beyond Politico. If one of the most well-known political news organizations was receiving millions in government funding, how many other media outlets might be benefiting from similar arrangements?
The American people deserve a press that tells the truth and holds power accountable—not one that takes its funding from the very institutions it should be scrutinizing.
Stay tuned to The Federalist Wire.
