Donald Trump has issued an executive order drastically reducing operations at Voice of America, the global, independent and federally funded news organization.
The president’s order targets VOA’s parent organization, the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which also funds non-profit entities like Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, originally established to counter communism. The order directs agency heads to “reduce performance… to the minimum presence and function required by law.”
Mike Abramowitz, VOA’s director, reported that he and nearly his entire staff of 1,300 employees have been placed on paid leave. Abramowitz emphasized that the order prevents VOA from fulfilling its “vital mission… especially critical today, when America’s adversaries, like Iran, China, and Russia, are sinking billions of dollars into creating false narratives to discredit the United States.”
The Trump administration has not provided an explanation, and it remains unclear whether the stations will be completely shut down.
According to CBS, the BBC’s US news partner, VOA employees were notified via email by Crystal Thomas, USAGM’s human resources director. A source told CBS that all freelance workers and international contractors were informed there was no longer funding to pay them.
Emails obtained by CBS showed that Radio Free Asia and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty leaders were notified that their federal grants had been terminated.
VOA and other USAGM stations reach more than 400 million listeners worldwide and are broadly comparable to the BBC World Service, which receives partial funding from the British government.
Elon Musk, Trump’s unofficial adviser who has been leading efforts to reduce government departments, has used his social media platform X to advocate for VOA’s closure.
The president has also cut funding to several other federal agencies, including those responsible for addressing homelessness and supporting museums and libraries.
Trump was highly critical of VOA during his first term and recently appointed loyal supporter Kari Lake as a special adviser for the US Agency for Global Media.
The president frequently claims mainstream media outlets are biased against him, calling CNN and MSNBC “corrupt” and “illegal” without providing evidence during a recent justice department speech.
Voice of America began broadcasting in 1942 with a mandate to combat Nazi and Japanese propaganda. Its first broadcast—transmitted on equipment borrowed from the BBC—stated modest intentions.
Former President Gerald Ford signed VOA’s public charter in 1976 to protect its editorial independence. By 1994, the Broadcast Board of Governors was established to oversee non-military broadcasting. In 2013, legislative changes allowed VOA and affiliates to begin broadcasting within the United States.
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