Elon Musk has been leading President Trump's efforts to slash federal spending under the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE
Elon Musk has been leading President Trump's efforts to slash federal spending under the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. AFP

KEY POINTS

  • Press Secretary Leavitt said over $8 million in Politico subscriptions will be canceled by DOGE
  • She said the move is part of the White House's efforts to ensure that American taxpayers' money is put to good use
  • Screenshots from USAspending.gov are spreading on X, showing the supposed millions in payments on media subscriptions

The White House will end subscriptions on media outlet Politico after over $8 million was supposedly spent on the news outlet last year for subscription, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt revealed Wednesday.

"I was made aware of the funding of USAID (United States Agency for International Development) to media outlets including Politico," Leavitt said in a press briefing.

"I can confirm that more than $8 million taxpayer dollars that have gone to essentially subsidizing subscriptions to Politico on the American taxpayers' dime will no longer be happening," she said.

Leavitt, the youngest press secretary in White House history, further revealed that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led by Elon Musk "is working on canceling those payments now."

She went on to explain that the decision to cancel Politico subscriptions was part of the Donald Trump government's efforts to ensure that whatever the federal government spends on is "a good use of the American taxpayers' money."

Leavitt's big announcement came as a post by prominent investor Adam Townsend went viral on X. He posted a screenshot of his search on USAspending.gov that showed Politico received $8.1 million from a total of 236 transactions in the past 12 months.

The post raised questions among many X users, with some wondering if Politico disclosed that it has been "a recipient of taxpayer dollars."

Other users posted screenshots on the details of their search through the website, with some showing how the government spent over $517,000 in Politico Pro subscriptions for 37 users.

CNN reported Wednesday that social media reports regarding Politico and the Associated Press having received millions from the USAID were a "bogus claim."

AP investigative reporter Byron Tau took to X to share his "own fun fact" about the matter, noting how other federal agencies were also subscribed to Politico Pro's editorial product, not just the USAID.

Conservative political commentator Kyle Becker posted earlier in the day that AP had supposedly been "raking in millions of dollars in government money for years." Musk, who has been criticized for his actions in recent days, was quick to react.

"Not for long. This is obviously a huge waste of taxpayer money!" the tech billionaire said.

In her first press briefing, Leavitt unveiled the Trump administration's "new media approach," which includes the briefing room opening its doors to TikTokers, vloggers, podcasters, and other "independent journalists" who want to cover the Trump White House.

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