President Donald Trump has demanded that Reuters return $9 million in taxpayer funds after it was revealed that its parent company’s subsidiary received a Pentagon contract for research related to cybersecurity and social deception. The discovery, made by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has drawn significant backlash.
The contract, awarded in 2018 and concluding in 2022, was given to Thomson Reuters Special Services (TRSS) to study social deception as part of cybersecurity defense research. The contract was flagged by Musk, who heads DOGE, leading to renewed scrutiny over government spending.
Trump took to Truth Social, writing: “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 also weighed in, stating that Reuters had received government money for “social engineering,” fueling concerns over media involvement in federal contracts. However, Reuters has denied direct involvement, explaining that TRSS operates separately and provides fraud detection and risk management services to the government.
The contract’s listing under “large-scale social deception” has raised alarms about the nature of the research. While officials say it was aimed at cybersecurity defense, critics argue that government contracts with media-linked entities create conflicts of interest.
DOGE’s investigation comes as part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to identify and eliminate government waste, a stark contrast to the previous administration under former President Joe Biden. More details on federal contracts are expected to be released as the probe continues.
