The reelection of Donald Trump, as his former adviser Steve Bannon recently told us, heralded a “reorganization of the world’s commercial relationships.” And on his first day back in office, the president promised to treat trade policy as a “critical component to national security.” That unleashed a tariff blitz on longtime trading partners from Canada to Mexico to China—and new deals with countries that the White House believes will correct global imbalances and protect manufacturing in the United States.
It also meant a financial windfall for one industry in particular: lobbyists in Washington, D.C.
Business has never been better for lobbyists who are paid millions of dollars to push the agendas of foreign countries and corporations. Since Trump won reelection in November 2024, there have been more than 380 new registrations as foreign lobbyists by people and firms, according to a Free Press analysis of documents kept by the Justice Department. That total is higher than it was for the comparable period under any of the last seven presidents.
