$100 Billion Influence Campaign Targets U.S. Conservatives, Media, and Trump Allies
A bombshell investigation has revealed that the Qatari regime has quietly poured nearly $100 billion into American politics, media, think tanks, and elite institutions — dramatically ramping up efforts to infiltrate conservative spheres following Donald Trump’s 2016 victory.
According to a sweeping exposé by The Free Press, Qatar’s foreign agents shifted their lobbying strategy in 2017, targeting MAGA influencers, Trump allies, and right-leaning media. This pivot included payments to high-profile platforms like Newsmax, John Fredericks’ radio network, and even an alleged connection to Tucker Carlson — which Carlson vehemently denies.
Qatari Propaganda Machine Reaches Deep into Trump’s Circle
The list of Trumpworld figures allegedly touched by Qatar’s money includes a who’s who of Republican operatives and influencers:
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Susie Wiles, Trump’s chief of staff
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Pam Bondi, former Florida attorney general and key Trump defender
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Kash Patel, former Trump DOJ official and top FBI critic
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Steve Witkoff, Trump’s Middle East peace envoy, received $623 million from Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund
Meanwhile, Qatari royals reportedly gave $50 million to Newsmax, encouraging a shift toward pro-Qatar narratives. Similarly, Common Sense Media Holdings, run by Trump ally John Fredericks, accepted over $180,000 from Qatari sources between 2017 and 2019.
The Free Press reports that since 2017, Qatar has spent over $225 million on U.S. lobbying alone, with 35 PR firms and lobbyists on its payroll in a single year — triple the spending of Israel.
The Tucker Carlson Allegations — and Denial
On Sunday, The Washington Examiner reported that Qatar paid lobbyists at Lumen8 Advisors $180,000 per month, allegedly to set up and manage high-profile media engagements — including a 2024 interview between Tucker Carlson and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.
Tucker Carlson, however, forcefully denies accepting any Qatari funding. Speaking with Megyn Kelly on April 29, Carlson dismissed the accusations outright. “I’ve never taken a dime from Qatar,” he stated.
Suspicion first mounted after it was revealed that Omeed Malik, a financier with Iranian and Pakistani ties, invested $15 million into Carlson’s media ventures. Critics have since questioned whether foreign influence shaped Carlson’s recent shift toward pro-Qatar, anti-Israel commentary — especially as he hosted figures like Steve Witkoff who defended Qatar’s intentions.
“They’re good, decent people,” Witkoff told Carlson. “They want to be acknowledged as a peacemaker.”
Qatar: Benevolent Ally or Radical Enabler?
Critics argue Qatar’s public diplomacy efforts mask a dangerous reality. The regime has long served as a financial and ideological lifeline for Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Muslim Brotherhood. The nation funneled over $1.8 billion to Hamas since 2007, harbored radical clerics like Yusuf al-Qaradawi, and funded Al Jazeera — banned in several Arab nations for serving as a propaganda arm for Islamists.
Still, some in the Trump orbit are open to viewing Qatar as a partner in peace. Others warn that conservative influencers may have been co-opted, knowingly or not, by a regime working to rebrand itself — while continuing to enable terror on the global stage.
The Bigger Picture
From aircraft purchases in Lindsey Graham’s South Carolina to drone factories near Charleston and high-dollar media deals in New York, Qatar’s tentacles appear to reach deeper into U.S. politics than previously acknowledged.
While the Trump administration’s diplomatic outreach to Qatar was public and strategic, the covert PR and lobbying blitz now coming to light raises serious questions: Who knew what — and who got paid?
As the revelations continue to unfold, conservative media and the MAGA movement may soon face a reckoning over just how much influence a radical Gulf monarchy has managed to buy.
