Trump administration exerts financial and regulatory pressure on private institutions

President Trump and his allies are applying a mix of financial and regulatory pressure across the private sector, targeting corporations, nonprofits, universities, media outlets and social platforms that the administration believes are aligned with the Democratic Party, according to an opinion essay in The New York Times.

The essay cites moves that include termination of wind energy projects and the ending of incentives for electric vehicles, pressure that led some universities and firms to reach settlements to avoid threats such as canceled licenses, lost research funding and revoked security clearances, and shifts in social media and news outlets toward more pro‑MAGA content.

It describes the Gates Foundation halting grants to nonprofit administrators associated with Arabella Advisors, the subsequent dissolution of Arabella and the transfer of operations to a new public benefit corporation, and reports that roughly one‑third of U.S. NGOs lost funding in the first half of 2025.

ActBlue is identified as an exception: despite a White House memorandum urging investigations into online fundraising, Federal Election Commission reports show ActBlue raising $190.9 million in the first half of 2017, $373.9 million in the first half of 2021 and $520.0 million in the first half of 2025.

Key Topics

Politics, Donald Trump, Arabella Advisors, Actblue, Gates Foundation, Nonprofit Sector