A traditionally GOP-backed organization that promotes democratic ideals outside of the U.S. is on Elon Musk’s chopping block — and dictators around the world couldn’t be happier, according to a new report by The Washington Post’s Max Boot.
In a Wednesday opinion piece, Boot wrote that the National Endowment for Democracy is one of the initial dozen-plus agencies caught up in Musk’s purge of the federal government, and it can no longer access its funding streams.
One of NED’s main functions is providing small grants, usually less than $150,000, “to courageous activists on the front lines of freedom,” Boot wrote, usually centered around repressive countries such as Russia, China, Myanmar, Iran and Cuba.
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“NED fills this important niche of supporting pro-freedom, pro-American partners in the toughest places,” the organization’s president told the Post. “It’s a small investment with the biggest impact in closed societies.”
But on Feb. 2, Musk posted on X, “NED is a SCAM,” and the dismantling began.
“Little wonder that America’s enemies are crowing over NED’s shutdown as part of the general freeze on U.S. foreign aid,” Boot wrote. “A Chinese website celebrated the downfall of this ‘infamous’ outfit, claiming that ‘NED has long supported anti-China organizations.’ Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez urged an investigation of how NED has supposedly organized ‘destabilization and terrorism against Cuba.’ And Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, wrote that NED’s ‘activities have been recognized as undesirable in Russia,’ and that it ‘has long been engaged in subversive cognitive operations around the globe.’”
“Since its creation in 1983, at the instigation of President Ronald Reagan, NED has been backing dissidents and activists around the world who advocate American ideals and who are working to combat the corruption and despotism of authoritarian regimes,” Boot wrote. Sadly, it’s now the far right-wing of the party that’s working toward its demise.