President Donald Trump is demanding that Reuters return $9 million in government funds after revelations surfaced about a Department of Defense contract with its parent company, Thomson Reuters Special Services (TRSS). The discovery was made by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, and has ignited criticism over federal money flowing to a media-affiliated entity.
The contract, issued in 2018 and completed in 2022, was part of a Pentagon initiative related to cybersecurity and social deception research. The contract, labeled under “Active Social Engineering Defense” and “Large Scale Social Deception,” has raised questions about how government funds were allocated and whether taxpayer money was used to influence public perception.
Trump took to Truth Social, stating, “DOGE: Looks like Radical Left Reuters was paid $9,000,000 by the Department of Defense to study ‘large scale social deception.’ GIVE BACK THE MONEY, NOW!”
Musk amplified the issue on X, highlighting the contract’s language and questioning why a major media-connected organization was awarded such funding. TRSS, however, has maintained that it operates separately from Reuters News and that the funds were used strictly for cybersecurity research.
The controversy follows ongoing efforts by the Trump administration to investigate federal spending, an approach that contrasts with the policies under former President Joe Biden. DOGE continues to review similar contracts and is expected to reveal additional findings in the near future.
