BOMBSHELL: Investigative Reporter Claims Dozens of American Journalists Are on China’s Payroll

Investigative reporter Natalie Winters, who is part of the Bannon War Room, just dropped an explosive report on Substack claiming that dozens of American journalists are on China’s payroll.

According to Winters, these journalists have taken trips to China, funded by the CCP, and receive kickbacks for favorable reporting on China.

If her reporting is accurate, this would explain quite a few things, wouldn’t it?

From Substack:

REVEALED: Here Are the Mainstream Journalists on China’s Payroll

Foreign-agent filings reveal that operatives working for a Chinese Communist Party-linked influence organization planned free trips for American journalists based on the potential for “favorable coverage” and sought to “effectively disseminate positive messages” about Beijing.

But the filings did not plainly identify the reporters who received the access.

By cross-referencing the filings with archived newsletters, annual reports and contemporaneous accounts, this investigation has uncovered the names of prominent American journalists who participated in China trips organized or funded by the China-United States Exchange Foundation, or CUSEF.

The roster includes current and former journalists from The New York Times, CNN, MSNBC, The Washington Post, NPR, the Associated Press, Vox, The Atlantic, the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune and other major American news organizations.

In several cases, the trips were followed by columns and reports defending Chinese government policies, attacking President Trump’s confrontation with Beijing or presenting the decline of American manufacturing as unavoidable.

Winters listed the names on Twitter/X:

REVEALED: Here Are the Mainstream Journalists on China’s Payroll 🚨

I exclusively uncovered the identities of prominent U.S. journalists flown to China by a CCP-linked influence operation seeking “favorable coverage” and “positive messages” about Beijing. 🧵

— Natalie Winters (@nataliegwinters) July 27, 2026

The names include:

– Ezra Klein, New York Times columnist
– Matthew Yglesias, Vox co-founder
– Ronald Brownstein, CNN senior political analyst
– Bradford Plumer, New York Times reporter
– Marjorie Miller, former Associated Press vice president

— Natalie Winters (@nataliegwinters) July 27, 2026

Also identified:

– Steve Clemons, former The Hill editor-at-large
– David Rohde, MS NOW senior national security reporter
– Jonathan Alter, NBC News and MSNBC political analyst
– David Sweeney, former NPR managing editor
– Daniel Gross, former Yahoo Finance columnist

— Natalie Winters (@nataliegwinters) July 27, 2026

Also on the roster:

– Marilyn Geewax, former NPR senior editor
– Kathleen Deveny, former Newsweek editor
– Tom Omestad, former U.S. News & World Report correspondent
– Steve Chapman, former Chicago Tribune columnist
– Bruce Stokes, former National Journal correspondent

— Natalie Winters (@nataliegwinters) July 27, 2026

The list continues:

– Craig Gilbert, former Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Washington bureau chief
– Tony Semerad, Salt Lake Tribune reporter
– Shikha Dalmia, former The Week columnist
– Jonathan Broder, former Newsweek senior writer

— Natalie Winters (@nataliegwinters) July 27, 2026

Also identified:

– Cristi Kempf, former Chicago Tribune associate managing editor
– Jon Healey, Los Angeles Times deputy editorial page editor
– Julian Pecquet, former Foreign Affairs reporter

— Natalie Winters (@nataliegwinters) July 27, 2026

The access went far beyond conference rooms.

American journalists were taken on curated tours through China, including visits to Chinese military bases, by the same network seeking favorable coverage. pic.twitter.com/tLpVm1pGZf

— Natalie Winters (@nataliegwinters) July 27, 2026

What should happen to these people?

Losing their jobs would be a start.