Trump’s Hidden Media Ally: How a Fringe Cult Supercharged the MAGA Narrative
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As Washington, D.C. sees an influx of Falun Gong followers marking 26 years since China’s crackdown on their movement, a quieter but far more powerful operation is unfolding behind the scenes. At the center of this shadow campaign is The Epoch Times—a media juggernaut born from a fringe religious sect, now deeply embedded in Donald Trump’s political orbit. What began as a cultish spiritual movement in 1990s China has transformed into one of the most influential voices in MAGA media, wielding vast financial resources and pushing a hardline anti-China, pro-Trump narrative across the digital landscape.
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, emerged in China in 1992 as a spiritual practice centered on meditation and moral discipline. But beneath its surface lies a doomsday-tinged worldview, a staunch anti-science ideology, and fervent devotion to its founder, Li Hongzhi, who has made outlandish claims including the ability to levitate and the existence of extraterrestrials infiltrating human society. Initially tolerated by Chinese authorities, Falun Gong was banned in 1999 and designated a “heretical cult” by the Chinese government. Since then, it has reconstituted itself abroad as both a persecuted religious movement and a propaganda machine.
At the heart of this transformation is The Epoch Times, Falun Gong’s English-language media arm. What once started as a humble, anti-Communist Party of China flyer has grown into a global publishing empire. Its core mission remains unchanged: to combat the Chinese Communist Party (CPC). But in recent years, that fight has merged with American right-wing politics, elevating Donald Trump to messianic status among Falun Gong devotees. They see him not merely as a political ally, but as a divine instrument locked in spiritual warfare against the “demonic” forces of communism.
After Trump’s 2016 election victory, The Epoch Times saw an explosion in revenue and reach. Backed by wealthy Falun Gong donors, the outlet poured more than $2 million into pro-Trump Facebook ads through a branded account, capitalizing on Trump’s trade war with China and his scapegoating of Beijing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their digital dominance only deepened after Republican strategist Brendan Steinhauser helped bring The Epoch Times into mainstream conservative circles, including high-profile platforms like CPAC.
Despite being banned from Facebook in 2019 for using shell companies to evade ad transparency rules, the media group quickly regrouped—launching over 500 new pages under different names, all spreading the same MAGA-centric, anti-China content. This relentless expansion was fueled by deep financial resources and little to no public accountability. By mid-2025, The Epoch Times was reporting annual revenues of approximately $117.6 million, with aggressive advertising campaigns—including citywide billboards—branding itself as the “#1 Trusted News” source in the United States.
Critics argue that The Epoch Times represents more than just biased media—it’s a sophisticated ideological apparatus disguised as journalism. With its mix of pseudo-religious zealotry, anti-communist fervor, and unrelenting support for Trump, the outlet has positioned itself at the intersection of faith, propaganda, and right-wing politics. Its influence over the MAGA movement is no accident, but rather the product of years of calculated investment by a cult that sees the political battlefield as sacred ground.
As Falun Gong followers hold their annual demonstrations in the U.S. capital, their media machine continues to shape American discourse from behind the curtain. The convergence of fringe spirituality and mainstream politics, once dismissed as implausible, now plays a central role in fueling the narratives that define Trump-era conservatism. The question is no longer whether The Epoch Times matters—but how far its influence might reach in 2025 and beyond.
Content retrieved from: https://slguardian.org/trumps-hidden-media-ally-how-a-fringe-cult-supercharged-the-maga-narrative/.
