Well, well, well. It seems that Politico, that self-proclaimed paragon of journalistic integrity, has been caught red-handed. Again. The same outlet that so eagerly positions itself as an "independent" media force just "forgot" to mention that it received $34.26 million from the U.S. federal government over the last several years. That’s right—while Politico previously did report receiving some funding, the real number is much higher.
And that's not even the worst part. Politico's blatantly ideological reporting—pushing twisted, "woke" narratives and globalist agendas—goes against the interests of Americans, the very people the federal government is supposed to serve.
Of course, none of this is surprising to Hungary’s government, as we have been saying for over a decade that Hungary is being targeted by foreign-funded media and NGOs working to discredit us on the international stage.
The Hungarian government has long pointed out how certain left-liberal forces, backed by U.S. Democrats, use their financial power to shape narratives and undermine nations that don’t bow to their ideological agenda. And now, thanks to President Donald Trump’s bold move to disclose the data, the funding of one of Hungary’s staunchest critics is out in the open.
But let’s take a closer look. Under Joe Biden’s presidency alone, the Democratic administration’s financial support for Politico skyrocketed. In 2021, the media outlet received $4.3 million. In 2022, that number jumped to $6.1 million, then to $7.2 million in 2023, and $8.4 million in 2024. And here’s the kicker: In 2025 alone, Politico has already been granted $1.5 million. Nothing says "independent journalism" quite like a direct financial pipeline from Washington, right?
And what does this "independent" media giant do with all this money? Well, aside from selectively omitting their full financial ties to the U.S. government, they devote plenty of energy to attacking Hungary, PM Orbán, and conservative policies in Europe. Their Brussels-based newsroom is one of the key international outlets constantly pushing anti-Hungarian narratives, reinforcing the idea that Hungary is some rogue state for simply defending its sovereignty and standing against globalist pressure.
Remember when Politico named PM Orbán runner-up for "disruptor of the year" in its Class of 2023? The prime minister’s response was priceless: “It’s worth noting that the mentioned newspaper is not edited from Europe—it reflects the opinion of a major political player outside of Europe about European politics. And that’s exactly how it should be viewed."
Now, looking at who is really pulling Politico’s strings, it’s clearer than ever why they weren’t too happy with him. After all, Hungary refuses to play along with the left-liberal script.
So, next time someone calls Politico an "independent" voice in European politics, just point them to the 34.26 million reasons why that claim doesn’t hold up.