The United States has always been a nation that thrives on competition, innovation, and resilience. We led the world in industrialization, pioneered aviation, sent men to the moon, and built the strongest economy the world has ever known. America is not just a country; it is an idea—the idea that freedom, enterprise, and hard work will triumph. But this triumph is only possible when we maintain control over our industries, protect our national security, and refuse to be outmaneuvered by foreign powers looking to undermine our economic sovereignty.

The latest front in this battle for American self-determination comes in the form of an attack on the Jones Act—a critical maritime law designed to keep American shipping, shipbuilding, and national security strong. And who’s leading the charge? The European Union. Yes, while American workers are focused on building a clean energy future and securing our coastlines, foreign interests are waging an influence campaign aimed at dismantling the very laws that keep American industries competitive.

On October 17, 2024, StorySquad Media, a small U.S. media company, filed a disclosure under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), revealing it had been hired to produce anti-Jones Act content. The client? IBF Connect SA, a Belgian consulting firm that works for the European Commission, European Parliament, and other EU bodies. The goal? A coordinated influence operation, funded by the European Commission, to create TikTok-style videos and messaging aimed at weakening American maritime protections.

Their playbook is simple: sway public opinion, pressure policymakers, and open U.S. waters to European companies at the expense of American jobs. The documents reveal a broader effort to hold private meetings, publish op-eds, and target U.S. coastal communities with anti-Jones Act messaging. They’re not just here to criticize—they’re here to dismantle a law that ensures American-built, American-owned, and American-crewed ships transport goods between U.S. ports.