What is the truth behind claims that USAID spent millions of taxpayer dollars to fund Politico?

The claims about USAID spending millions on Politico were greatly exaggerated. Government records show USAID only spent about $44,000 on Politico during fiscal years 2023-2024, primarily for subscriptions to specialized publications like their energy and environment report. The $8 million figure cited was the total government spending on Politico subscriptions, not just from USAID. Most government contracts with Politico were for premium information services, like a recent $35,000 contract from the White House's Office of National Cyber director for 15 users to access Politico Pro Premium, which tracks and analyzes policy developments. These were standard business subscriptions, not payments for favorable coverage as some political figures suggested.