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In fact, documents from 2022 reveal that the AFL-CIO took in nearly as much government funding—$69 million—as it did from membership dues, which totaled only $34 million that year. In short, taxpayers appear to be footing the bill for this union’s activism.
Despite its claims of independence, the Solidarity Center operates under the umbrella of the National Endowment for Democracy, a group often criticized for its connections to the U.S. intelligence community. Critics argue that these “soft power” networks are being used to fuel political unrest both abroad and now increasingly here at home.
Former Trump administration official Mike Benz, who heads the Foundation for Freedom Online, raised the alarm earlier this year about where this money would eventually go.
“One of the main things I think is likely to destabilize the U.S…. rent-a-riot, pop-up protests that can completely destabilize a country,” he said in a March interview. “When workers are walking out, they’re blocking the highways, they’re provoking the police, so you’re left with either authoritarian crackdowns or [a] police precinct burns to the ground, as what happened in Minneapolis.”
Benz, who has studied the growing use of protest-for-hire tactics, warned that these kinds of events are often engineered and funded to sow division—especially during politically sensitive times like elections or major anniversaries.
His research includes examples from both ends of the political spectrum, such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on the right and leftist street movements during the 2020 elections. According to Benz, the Solidarity Center—though billed as nonpartisan—played a role in encouraging anti-government protests in Belarus against conservative President Aleksandr Lukashenko.
“Bluntly: AFL-CIO is one of the key taxpayer-funded organizations in effecting regime change all over the world,” wrote DataRepublican in a now-viral thread on X. “That AFL-CIO is openly involved in sponsoring the No Kings rally should raise extreme concerns as to the rally’s true purpose.”
Concerns about the motivations behind these so-called protests are mounting, especially with violence already reported in cities like Los Angeles. Some of the groups behind the unrest have been linked to Democrat-aligned nonprofits receiving federal grants.
Just this week, Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) demanded answers from one Los Angeles group that reportedly pocketed tens of millions in federal dollars to support “immigrant resettlement” efforts—yet appears to be redirecting resources toward organizing civil disturbances.
In Washington, Rep. Nancy Mace (R-NC) is taking action, introducing legislation that would cut off federal funding to any sanctuary city or state that refuses to cooperate with federal authorities in controlling violent mobs.
Her legislation is part of a broader push to rein in the out-of-control activism fueled by government dollars. It also aims to hold states accountable that allowed chaos to spread during the 2020 riots following George Floyd’s death—unrest that left businesses burned, neighborhoods shattered, and police departments crippled.
As Americans honor President Trump on his birthday, the question must be asked: Why are U.S. taxpayers funding the very rallies aimed at undermining the rule of law and national sovereignty? The connection between government funding, activist unions, and anti-border protests is growing harder to ignore.
