President Donald Trump has effectively shut down Voice of America (VOA), placing more than 1,300 employees on administrative leave and terminating funding for two US international broadcasting services that reach millions in authoritarian countries.
The drastic measures came Saturday, just one day after Trump signed an executive order directing VOA’s parent agency, the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), to reduce operations to “the minimum presence and function required by law.”
“I am deeply saddened that for the first time in 83 years, the storied Voice of America is being silenced,” said Michael Abramowitz, VOA’s director, who confirmed that virtually all of his 1,300-person staff had been put on paid leave, effectively crippling the organization’s ability to function.
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The White House characterized the move as ensuring “taxpayers are no longer on the hook for radical propaganda,” accusing the federally funded news service of being “anti-Trump” and “radical.”
In addition to VOA, the administration terminated grants to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, which broadcasts to Eastern Europe including Russia and Ukraine, and Radio Free Asia, which reaches audiences in China and North Korea. These outlets have long served as rare sources of reliable news in regions with limited press freedom.
The impact was immediately felt by employees. VOA’s Seoul Bureau Chief William Gallo reported being locked out of all company systems and accounts. “All I’ve ever wanted to do is shoot straight and tell the truth, no matter what government I was covering. If that’s a threat to anyone, so be it,” he wrote on social media platform Bluesky.
Trump has appointed Kari Lake, a former news anchor and loyal supporter, as a special adviser for USAGM. Lake issued a statement describing the agency as “a giant rot and burden to the American taxpayer” that is “not salvageable,” adding that she would shrink it to its minimum possible size under law.
The cuts have drawn sharp criticism from press freedom advocates. The National Press Club said the move “undermines America’s long-standing commitment to a free and independent press,” while Reporters Without Borders called it a threat to “press freedom worldwide” that “negates 80 years of American history in supporting a free flow of information.”
Founded in 1942 to counter Nazi propaganda, VOA reaches approximately 360 million people weekly across nearly 50 languages. The USAGM as a whole employs roughly 3,500 workers with an $886 million budget for 2024.
The executive order also targeted six other federal agencies for similar reductions, including those responsible for preventing homelessness and funding museums and libraries.
The move aligns with broader government cuts being overseen by tech billionaire Elon Musk through the Department of Government Efficiency, which has already eliminated more than 100,000 federal jobs.
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