PARIS — The U.S. State Department is excluding French applicants from a European grant program designed to promote what the Trump administration calls democratic resilience, free expression and “civilizational” confidence. A U.S. Embassy spokesperson in Paris confirmed that French groups will not receive funding under the program, while the State Department said grant allocations remain under active review. The department also stressed that the program “does not and will not fund political parties, in Europe or elsewhere.” The decision follows warnings from French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, who said the initiative could amount to “foreign interference” in European electoral processes. France is preparing for its 2027 presidential campaign by expanding efforts to combat online disinformation and foreign meddling. A bill addressing those threats is scheduled for consideration by the French Senate in October. The funding program was formally advertised this summer after State Department officials held discussions earlier in the year with think tanks and advocacy organizations aligned with President Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement. Its stated goals include opposing what the administration describes as democratic backsliding, including “overbroad and vague hate-speech laws.” Vice President JD Vance and other administration officials have repeatedly criticized European Union rules on hate speech and election security, arguing that they can restrict speech and civil liberties. The administration has also expressed support for Hungary’s former leader Viktor Orbán and pledged in its National Security Strategy to back like-minded “patriotic European parties.” Those positions have fueled concern in European capitals that Washington could seek to shape domestic politics ahead of a series of major elections. The State Department said the program is intended to involve “collaborating with European partners to jointly support European revitalization and civilizational self-confidence.” Nicolas Conquer, founder of the MAGA-aligned French think tank Western Arc, applied for funding but said he had not received a formal decision. The exclusion of French applicants leaves organizations such as his facing uncertainty as the State Department determines how the broader program will be distributed. For France, the dispute highlights the tension between defending open political debate and preventing foreign governments from using private organizations, grants or online campaigns to influence voters. For Washington, it raises a different question: whether taxpayer-backed programs aimed at promoting free speech abroad can avoid becoming instruments of partisan influence.