Over 1,300 employees of Voice of America (VOA) were placed on leave after President Donald Trump ordered deep cuts to the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) and six other federal agencies. The move also terminated funding for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Radio Free Asia, two services providing independent news in authoritarian regions.
VOA Director Michael Abramowitz called the decision devastating, marking the first time in 83 years the broadcaster has gone silent. VOA, founded in 1942, reaches 360 million people weekly in nearly 50 languages, countering censorship in repressive countries.
Kari Lake, a Trump ally and nominee for VOA director, defended the cuts, calling USAGM "a giant rot and burden" on taxpayers. The agency, which employed 3,500 workers with an $886 million budget in 2024, has long been criticized by conservatives for alleged bias.
The decision has drawn international criticism. Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky called Radio Free Europe "a beacon" for those under totalitarian rule. Reporters Without Borders and the National Press Club also condemned the cuts, warning of threats to press freedom.
Radio Free Asia President Bay Fang argued the move benefits authoritarian regimes like China’s, allowing unchecked influence. The cuts align with broader government downsizing led by tech mogul Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has slashed over 100,000 federal jobs, frozen foreign aid, and eliminated thousands of programs. Musk jokingly referred to the restructured USAGM as the "Department of Propaganda Everywhere (DOPE)."
The White House justified the decision, citing taxpayer savings and alleged left-wing bias in VOA’s reporting. Alongside USAGM, Trump’s executive order also targeted agencies supporting libraries, homeless services, and minority businesses, limiting them to their legally required minimum operations.