Former State Department Official Highlights Global Pushback Against Populism

On Tuesday, Mike Benz, a former official at the State Department, discussed the increasing global resistance to populism, suggesting that the CIA perceives these movements as “global threats.”

House Republicans are advocating for the allocation of hundreds of millions in taxpayer money to groups that the Trump administration previously aimed to cut funding from. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has recommended removing federal support from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) due to its pattern of partisan defense and perceived hostility towards the Republican framework. Benz shared insights during an appearance on “Bannon’s War Room,” noting that after the Cold War, US diplomacy, originally aimed at combating communism, began to target populist movements worldwide.

“The end of the Cold War led to the recognition of a new global threat: the rise of populism,” Benz remarked, pointing to examples such as Trump in the US, Brexit in the UK, Marine Le Pen in France, Matteo Salvini in Italy, and Bolsonaro in Brazil. “It’s like we’ve entered an unannounced second war in the face of this populism.”

The NED claims to actively confront these movements, seeing them as challenges to the liberal international order that has shaped US foreign policy since the Cold War era.

Benz elaborated that the NED operates aggressively against populist movements, which he describes as “harvesting” them like vultures. He expressed concerns that there are still House Republicans who cling to the traditional Republican foreign policy framework established during the Cold War.

Benz indicated that a significant segment of the right relies on various US foreign policy tools, including the Pentagon and USAID funding, as well as CIA operations, to foster favorable conditions abroad. “Many right-wing groups and businesses depend on these mechanisms,” Benz stated, pointing to the National Fund for Democracy’s involvement over the past 25 years. “They’re unlikely to relinquish this tool, especially when it benefits their interests.”

In 2020, the NED supported the Global Disinformation Index (GDI), which categorized conservative outlets like Newsmax and The New York Post as primary sources of disinformation. This classification was circulated among advertisers to discourage spending on these platforms, leading to accusations that the NED was promoting censorship in right-wing media.

Critics have argued that the NED’s actions could undermine its mission by utilizing taxpayer funds for international political influence and nation-building endeavors. The Center for Renewing America, led by Russell, has criticized the NED for its role in escalating tensions with Russia regarding US actions in Ukraine.