Alright, folks, let’s talk about what just went down in Washington, because this is big. The Trump administration has officially dropped the hammer on legacy media contracts, and let me tell you, the numbers behind this story are jaw-dropping. We’re talking about millions—yes, millions—of taxpayer dollars quietly flowing into media outlets through federal subscriptions. But as of Thursday, that spigot has been turned off.
So what exactly happened? An internal email, first leaked by Axios, ordered the General Services Administration (GSA) to cancel every single media contract by the end of the day. This comes after shocking findings from DOGE (the Department of Government Efficiency) revealed that major news outlets were essentially getting federal allowances through mass subscriptions. And the numbers? Buckle up.
Treasury leadership verified that their NYT contracts were cancelled today. https://t.co/cd3STUgrzF
— Department of Government Efficiency (@DOGE) February 6, 2025
The government paid more than $8 million to Politico last year alone for their premium service, Politico Pro. That’s just one outlet. The email specifically called for contract reviews and cancellations for Politico, BBC, Bloomberg, and E&E News (a Politico subsidiary). And the New York Times? Treasury officials confirmed their contracts were axed earlier this week.
Now, let’s put this in perspective. The GSA is the agency that handles federal property and technology services, and it employs about 12,000 people. How many of these taxpayer-funded media subscriptions were floating around? We don’t know yet—but what we do know is that they’re all getting the boot.
🚨RUBIO: USAID rife with “rank insubordination” — “we had no choice but to take dramatic steps to bring this thing under control."
"They have basically evolved into an agency that believes that they're not even a U.S. government agency...they're completely unresponsive. They… pic.twitter.com/LQOKRDUlBk
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) February 4, 2025
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that Politico Pro subscriptions across multiple federal agencies are also being eliminated. And this isn’t just about media contracts—it’s part of a much bigger effort to root out wasteful spending, particularly inside the now-defunct USAID.
Remember, the push to reform USAID started with some government efficiency measures, but the resistance from the agency was so intense that Trump officials decided to scrap it altogether. And when they started digging, the spending patterns they uncovered were, frankly, insane.
Here’s just a taste of what USAID was funding with your tax dollars:
- Millions of dollars went to a group involved in research at the Wuhan lab. Yes, that Wuhan lab.
- Hundreds of thousands were funneled to a nonprofit linked to terror groups. (You read that right.)
- $2 million was spent on LGBT activism in Guatemala.
- $1.5 million was used to advance DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) in Serbia.
And that’s just what they’ve found so far.
By Friday night, nearly all USAID staff will be placed on leave, and every single overseas mission has been ordered to shut down. The message from the Trump administration? No more blank checks for wasteful projects.