A Unification Church-affiliated group paid former President Donald Trump $2.5 million for three video appearances between 2021 and 2022, according to U.S. financial records obtained by the Mainichi Shimbun.

This is an astonishing reinterpretation of history, where it is claimed that Donald Trump, the Glorious Leader, somehow made the Korean Peninsula more secure. 😂 pic.twitter.com/5NmaTtpluw

— Jim Stewartson, Antifascist 🇨🇦🇺🇦🏴‍☠️🇺🇸 (@jimstewartson) September 12, 2021

Why it matters: These payments prompt concerns about foreign religious groups exerting influence over U.S. politicians, especially amidst ongoing scrutiny concerning political transparency and potential connections to contentious organizations such as the Unification Church.

Driving the news: The Universal Peace Federation (UPF), associated with the Unification Church, paid Trump for short video messages at their events, as disclosed in official U.S. records.

• Trump’s reports show $500,000 for a September 2021 online event, $1 million for a February 2022 summit, and another $1 million for a July 2022 appearance.
• Former Vice President Mike Pence received $550,000 for speaking at the 2022 UPF World Summit in Seoul.
• The payments total about $90,000 per minute for Trump’s roughly 28 minutes of video content.

Financial reports by former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence. The marked row shows a payment for his speaking engagement at a Universal Peace Federation event.

Financial reports by former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence. The marked row shows a payment for his speaking engagement at a Universal Peace Federation event.

Catch up quick: The UPF, founded by Unification Church leaders Sun Myung Moon and Hak Ja Han in 2005, serves as a friendship arm of the church. Trump and Pence disclosed these incomes in financial reports for their 2024 presidential bids, obtained via U.S. freedom of information requests. Similar appearances by other world leaders, including former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, have sparked controversy, with Abe’s 2021 video linked to his 2022 assassination.

The intrigue: While the UPF claims no payment was made to Abe for his video praising the church’s family values, Trump’s compensated appearances highlight inconsistencies in how the group engages politicians.

Between the lines: Donations from Japanese followers may have funded these payments, potentially channeling believer contributions to influence global figures and bolster the church’s image.

What they’re saying:

• “I want to thank the Universal Peace Federation, and in particular, Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, a tremendous person, for her incredible work on behalf of peace all over the world,” Donald Trump said in his 2021 video message.
• “The church’s main source of income is supposedly donations from Japanese followers, which means that a significant chunk (of these payments to Trump and Pence) could have been covered by the donations,” Yasuo Kawai, attorney from Lawyers from Across Japan for the Victims of the Unification Church, told the Mainichi Shimbun.

The bottom line: As we revisit this 2023 revelation in 2025, it underscores persistent concerns over political funding transparency and the Unification Church’s global reach, with no responses from Trump, Pence, or the UPF to inquiries.