Hundreds of employees at Voice of America (VOA), Radio Free Europe, and other U.S.-funded media organizations were abruptly placed on administrative leave this weekend following an executive order by former U.S. President Donald Trump. Staff received emails instructing them to surrender press credentials and equipment, with reports indicating over 1,300 VOA employees affected.
The order targets the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), labeled as part of "unnecessary" federal bureaucracy. USAGM, which oversees $886 million in annual funding, has severed contracts with private broadcasters it supports, including Radio Free Asia.
Kari Lake, Trump ally and nominee to lead VOA, called the agency "a giant rot and burden to taxpayers" in a Saturday statement, vowing to reduce its operations to a "minimum possible size." Meanwhile, Republican critics accuse publicly funded outlets like VOA of conservative bias, echoing Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) efforts to trim federal programs.
The White House defended the cuts, claiming they prevent taxpayer funding of "radical propaganda," while analysts note potential constitutional hurdles—Congress holds authority over budgetary decisions, not the president.
The move impacts multiple agencies, including cultural and minority-business initiatives, intensifying debates over government efficiency versus press freedom.
