“Minerals for Influence: Poor Nations Buy Access Through Trump’s Inner Circle”

Some of the world’s most impoverished nations are navigating a dangerous new path to international relevance—by cutting deals with U.S. lobbyists linked to Donald Trump. Instead of aid or traditional diplomacy, they are trading access to valuable minerals for political backing from Washington.
Lobbying firms like Ballard Partners and BGR Government Affairs are orchestrating these transactions. Their deep ties to Trump-era politics make them powerful intermediaries in what critics are calling a privatized version of foreign policy.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a striking example, offering up lucrative mining rights for cobalt and lithium—essential to American industries—in return for U.S. military and diplomatic support. Countries like Somalia and Yemen are similarly investing hundreds of thousands into lobbying contracts.
Observers say this model rewards those who can pay to play, pushing out the principles of transparency and equity. With foreign policy seemingly shaped by those with the deepest wallets, the future of international cooperation could be at serious risk.