Hundreds of employees at Voice of America (VOA) and other US-funded media outlets have been placed on administrative leave following a recent executive order by President Donald Trump. Staff members received emails over the weekend notifying them that they would be barred from their offices and must surrender press passes and equipment.
The executive order, issued on Friday, labels the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM)—VOA’s parent agency—as part of “unnecessary” federal bureaucracy. USAGM employs approximately 3,500 staff and has an $886 million budget for 2024, according to its latest report to Congress.
In addition to VOA, the agency funds other international broadcasters such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia. Reports indicate that USAGM has severed all contracts with these privately incorporated broadcasters.
Kari Lake, a former news anchor and Trump loyalist nominated to be the director of VOA, described USAGM as “a giant rot and burden to the American taxpayer” and stated it was “not salvageable.” Lake expressed intentions to reduce the agency to the minimum size allowed by law.
Some Republicans have accused VOA and similar publicly funded media outlets of bias against conservative viewpoints. They have called for these organizations to be shuttered as part of broader efforts to reduce government spending.
Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has also been instrumental in government downsizing. So far, DOGE has cut over 100,000 jobs across the 2.3 million-member federal civilian workforce, frozen foreign aid, and canceled thousands of programs and contracts.
President Trump’s executive order targets several agencies for cuts, including the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The order aims to limit these agencies to “the minimum presence and function required by law.”
In a statement, the White House stated that the executive orders “will ensure that taxpayers are no longer on the hook for radical propaganda,” citing criticisms of VOA and allegations of partisan bias.
However, the decision is expected to face legal challenges, as the U.S. Constitution grants Congress the power over federal spending. Analysts anticipate debates over the separation of powers and the future of publicly funded media.
