For years, American taxpayers have unknowingly been funding ideological crusades that have little to do with the nation’s interests and everything to do with advancing leftist causes. One of the most egregious examples is the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and its financial entanglements with billionaire George Soros’ Open Society Foundations and legacy- media outlets that consistently push for gun-control policies.
While proponents argue that USAID projects serve U.S. strategic interests, critics contend that the agency has been weaponized to support partisan initiatives—many of which undermine Americans’ constitutional rights, including the Second Amendment.
“The early reports of staggering corruption and misallocation of funds should be deeply concerning for every American taxpayer,” said John Thomas, managing director of the governance consulting firm Nest Point. “For years, members of Congress have attempted to audit USAID, only to be met with resistance. That alone should raise red flags.”
USAID’s Deep Ties to Soros’s Open Society Foundations
USAID was originally designed to provide humanitarian assistance and to promote economic development abroad; however, under the leadership of officials like the President Joe Biden-appointed Samantha Power, the agency veered into funding far-Left initiatives.
The connection between USAID and Soros’s Open Society Foundations, which have long been opposed to our Second Amendment-protected rights, runs deep.
Members of the Soros family are prominent Democrat donors, and a number of former USAID officials now hold senior roles within Open Society initiatives. This revolving door allowed a flow of taxpayer dollars into programs that advance the Soros agenda, often at odds with core American values.
According to Max Primorac, former acting chief operating officer at USAID, the agency and Open Society frequently co-funded programs that promoted progressive policies in developing nations. This relationship has been ongoing for decades, with Open Society Foundations listing USAID as a “donor partner” as far back as 2001.
The extent of their collaboration was exposed through two U.S. Supreme Court cases in which an Open Society nonprofit sued USAID over funding conditions. The cases highlighted the ideological congruence between the two entities, fortifying the argument that USAID has functioned as a conduit for advancing the Open Society objective rather than serving American taxpayers.
Funding the Anti-Gun Movement
One of the most worrying elements of USAID’s activities is its gray-area relationship to the anti-Second Amendment movement. Soros’s advocacy organizations have lobbied intensively to rescind the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA), which shields gun manufacturers from frivolous lawsuits. By attempting to strip these protections, Soros-backed groups aim to bankrupt the firearms industry through litigation—a strategy long pursued by gun-control activists.
“There’s so little oversight that agency bureaucrats end up pushing their own priorities—whether political, personal or tied to cronies. The money is allocated based on internal decisions rather than the actual will of the taxpayers,” said Thomas.
Additionally, investigative reports have uncovered that USAID funds have been indirectly linked through other umbrella groups and eventually to gun-control organizations, such as Everytown for Gun Safety and Giffords. Contributions are funneled through intermediaries like the social justice-oriented Tides Center, which is believed to have benefited groups dedicated to progressive groups restricting gun rights.
The murky funding patterns suggest a coordinated effort to leverage taxpayer money against Americans’ constitutional freedoms.
Media Manipulation: Buying Influence Against the Second Amendment
Beyond funding activist organizations, USAID has also directed money toward Left-leaning media outlets that consistently push for gun control; for example, publicly available records show that USAID paid Politico $44,000 in 2023 and 2024 for institutional subscriptions—this was far from the only media funding the agency has dispensed. Since 2014, Politico has received over $34 million from federal agencies, raising concerns about government influence over supposedly independent journalism.
This creates a media ecosystem where outlets funded by USAID and similar agencies shape public discourse to favor progressive policies, including gun-control measures. By shelling out taxpayer dollars to publications of choice, the government can diminish pro-Second Amendment perspectives while illuminating those calling for restrictions on firearm ownership.
Why It Matters
The revelation that USAID has been financing, albeit indirectly, efforts to undermine the Second Amendment is yet another example of taxpayer money being weaponized against American citizens. Under the Biden administration, Open Society-aligned groups have been able to cement their agenda within the federal government, using taxpayer-funded grants and media partnerships to drive a radical, and unconstitutional, agenda.
President Donald Trump’s move to halt foreign funding through USAID significantly disrupted this pipeline. By restructuring the agency and cutting off funding to organizations that work against American interests, Trump dealt a blow to Soros’s efforts to erode constitutional rights.
If left unchecked, the old-guard system allows a network of far-Left foundations, government agencies and media outlets to manipulate public policy in favor of gun control and other restrictive measures.
For those who value their constitutional rights, demanding transparency and reform is the only way to ensure that their tax dollars are not being used against them.
