U.S. President Donald Trump has effectively shut down Voice of America (VOA), a global, federally funded news organization, by placing its entire staff of 1,300 on paid leave. The order also targets VOA’s parent company, the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees other independent broadcasters, including Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia.
Trump’s directive mandates the heads of these agencies to “reduce performance… to the minimum presence and function required by law.” This move has left VOA unable to fulfill its journalistic mission at a time when, according to VOA Director Mike Abramowitz, adversarial nations like China, Russia, and Iran are investing heavily in disinformation campaigns against the United States.
Emails obtained by CBS News reveal that VOA employees were informed of the decision by USAGM’s human resources director, Crystal Thomas. Additionally, all freelance workers and international contractors were notified that there was no longer funding available to pay them. Federal grants for Radio Free Asia and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty were also terminated.
Elon Musk, an influential figure in the Trump administration and an advocate for downsizing government agencies, took to his social media platform X to support the shutdown of VOA. Trump’s executive action coincides with broader budget cuts affecting other federal agencies, including those responsible for homelessness prevention, museum funding, and library services.
Trump has long been a critic of mainstream media, frequently attacking outlets such as CNN and MSNBC, labeling them as “corrupt” and “illegal” without providing substantiating evidence. His stance against VOA is not new; he was highly critical of the agency during his first term and has recently appointed Kari Lake, a staunch loyalist, as a special adviser to USAGM.
VOA, established in 1942 to counter Nazi and Japanese propaganda, has historically played a crucial role in global journalism. Its editorial independence was enshrined in 1976 under President Gerald Ford, and in 2013, it gained the legal authority to broadcast within the U.S. The sudden suspension of VOA and its affiliates raises significant concerns about press freedom and the future of independent journalism in America.
