- Trump signed an order to cut VOA's funding, calling it "anti-Trump"
- The order also affects Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia
- The National Press Club criticized the decision
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order aimed at scaling back the federally-funded news organization Voice of America (VOA), accusing it of being “anti-Trump” and “radical.”
A White House statement explained that the order would “ensure taxpayers are no longer funding radical propaganda” and included criticisms from politicians and right-wing media about the “leftist” and “partisan” nature of VOA.
Originally established during World War II to counter Nazi propaganda, VOA remains primarily a radio service that reaches millions of people globally.
Mike Abramowitz, VOA’s director, stated that he and nearly all of his 1,300 staff members had been placed on paid leave. He expressed concern that the order would prevent VOA from fulfilling its “vital mission,” especially as adversaries like Iran, China, and Russia spend billions spreading false narratives to undermine the United States.
The president’s order targets the VOA’s parent organization, the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which also funds non-profit outlets like Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, both of which were originally created to counter communist propaganda.
The order instructs managers to “reduce performance… to the minimum presence and function required by law.”
CBS reported that VOA employees were informed via email by Crystal Thomas, USAGM’s human resources director, while a source revealed that freelance workers and international contractors were told there would be no funds available to pay them.
Emails obtained by CBS also showed that federal grants to Radio Free Asia and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty had been terminated.
The National Press Club, a major US journalism advocacy group, condemned the order, saying it “undermines America’s long-standing commitment to a free and independent press.” They added, “If an entire newsroom can be sidelined overnight, what does that say about the state of press freedom?”
VOA and other USAGM-funded stations serve over 400 million listeners worldwide, and are often compared to the BBC World Service, which is partially funded by the British government.
Elon Musk, a prominent Trump ally overseeing cuts to the US government, called for VOA’s closure on his social media platform X.
In addition to VOA’s funding cuts, Trump also slashed budgets for several other federal agencies, including those addressing homelessness and funding museums and libraries.
Trump has long criticized VOA, even during his first term, and recently appointed loyalist Kari Lake as a special adviser for USAGM. He has frequently claimed that mainstream media outlets, including CNN and MSNBC, are biased against him, calling them “corrupt” and “illegal” without providing evidence.
VOA was created in 1942 with the goal of countering Nazi and Japanese propaganda, and its first broadcast, made on a transmitter loaned by the BBC, stated its modest purpose. In 1976, President Gerald Ford signed a public charter to protect VOA’s editorial independence. By 1994, the Broadcast Board of Governors was established to oversee non-military broadcasting, and in 2013, legislation was passed allowing VOA and its affiliates to broadcast within the United States.
