Skip to main content
  • Online media
  • Tariffs
  • Epstein
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • RSS
  • Take Action
  • Search
  • Donate

Media Matters for America

  • News & Analysis
  • Research & Studies
  • Audio & Video
  • Archives

Media Matters for America

  • Nav
  • Search
  • News & Analysis
  • Research & Studies
  • Audio & Video
  • Archives
  • Online media
  • Tariffs
  • Epstein
  • Take Action
  • Search
  • Donate
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • RSS
image — January 6 committee — officers testifying

Andrea Austria / MMFA

Breitbart invokes George Soros conspiracy theories against Ukrainian refugees

The white nationalist website is attempting to undermine support for Ukrainian refugees with a racist smear campaign

Written by Eric Kleefeld

Research contributions from Casey Wexler

Published 02/25/22 2:49 PM EST

Ukrainian civilians — mostly women, children, and the elderly — are now fleeing from Russia’s invasion of their country and headed to Eastern European neighbors. But already, the far-right site Breitbart is taking a hostile stand against the U.S. potentially accepting such refugees — and tying it to a longstanding antisemitic conspiracy theory.

On Thursday, the white nationalist site ran the headline “Soros-Linked Mass Migration Lobby: U.S. Must Open Borders to Ukraine Refugees,” while superimposing a picture of the Hungarian-born philanthropist and Holocaust survivor over a photo from a pro-Ukraine demonstration in Warsaw, Poland.

screen grab

The article vilified refugee settlement groups as “the mass migration lobby,” saying they “have a financial stake” in their work, and citing both government funding as well as “millions from Soros.” The article also embedded a tweet from anti-immigrant extremist Mark Krikorian, who sarcastically declared that resettlement groups would not “let a crisis go to waste.”

Breitbert has long trafficked in anti-immigrant and anti-refugee hatred, as well as antisemitic attacks on Soros as a particular boogeyman. These claims also tie into a wider network of right-wing conspiracy theories regarding the so-called “demographic conquest” and the great replacement conspiracy theory, which have been linked to mass shootings by white nationalists.

In addition, Breitbart ran another article Friday on Sweden potentially refusing to take in refugees, while many other countries in Europe are gearing up to do so. Breitbart has on occasion been willing to ponder the idea that countries of European political heritage should welcome refugee status for some people — that is, when the purported victims were white, and their alleged persecutors were not. But such generosity apparently does not extend to acceptance of refugees from Eastern Europe who are now fleeing violence perpetrated by Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.

The Latest

  1. Fox joins the Trump administration’s war on the veteran-heavy federal workforce

    Research/Study 02/14/25 4:03 PM EST

  2. Trump is decimating the CFPB. Fox News isn't telling audiences what the agency does.

    Research/Study 02/14/25 3:32 PM EST

  3. Fox News economist panel agrees Trump tariffs are bad for consumers

    Video & Audio 02/14/25 3:07 PM EST

  4. Myths and facts about birthright citizenship

    Research/Study 02/14/25 11:16 AM EST

  5. Media Matters weekly newsletter, February 14, 2025

    Narrative/Timeline 02/14/25 10:48 AM EST

Pagination

  • Previous page ‹‹
  • …
  • Current page 269
  • …
  • Next page ››

In This Article

  • Breitbart News

    Breitbart-News-MMFA-Tag.png
  • Immigration

    Immigration
  • White Nationalism

    white-nationalism_mmfa_tag
  • Center for Immigration Studies

    Center for Immigration Studies
  • Antisemitism

Related

  1. A far-right sheriffs organization says Trump “border czar” Tom Homan is sending a representative to its upcoming conference

    Article 10/02/25 12:57 PM EDT

  2. Right-wing media’s dystopian Portland coverage feeds into Trump’s threats to deploy National Guard

    Article 09/29/25 5:48 PM EDT

  3. Right-wing media fracture over potential gun ban for trans Americans

    Research/Study 09/30/25 11:36 AM EDT

Media Matters for America

Sign up for email updates
  • About
  • Contact
  • Corrections
  • Submissions
  • Jobs
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • RSS

© 2025 Media Matters for America

RSS