Trump’s Executive Order Guts Voice Of America, Putting Global Press Freedom At Risk

The U.S. government-funded broadcaster Voice of America (VOA) is facing an unprecedented crisis after more than 1,300 employees were placed on administrative leave following President Donald Trump’s executive order to drastically reduce the operations of its parent agency, the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM). The decision has also cut funding for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and Radio Free Asia (RFA), providing indispensable reporting in oppressive countries where the freedom of the press is constrained.

A Blow to International Journalism

VOA Director Michael Abramowitz was not at all happy about the move, writing in a statement, “For the first time in 83 years, the historic Voice of America is being muzzled.” Founded in 1942 as a counter to Nazi propaganda, VOA has been a robust pillar of American global broadcasting, reaching an estimated 360 million each week in nearly 50 languages. Its purpose has always been to bring unfiltered news to those who reside under repressive regimes, and the latest news is a big blow to international press freedom.

The decision was made immediately. VOA Seoul Bureau Chief William Gallo assured on Sunday that he had been barred from company systems and accounts and further said, “All I’ve ever wanted to do is shoot straight and tell the truth, no matter what government I was covering. If that’s a threat to anyone, so be it.”

Conservative Criticism and Trump’s Executive Order

Conservatives have long criticized VOA and other government-funded news organizations for allegedly biased reporting. Trump’s Friday executive order orders USAGM and six other agencies to slash their operations to the minimum required by law. The administration has framed this as eliminating wasteful spending and government overreach.

Kari Lake, who is a retired television news anchor and Trump ally who has been nominated to be the next VOA director, mirrored that tone. In a public statement, she described USAGM as “a giant rot and burden to the American taxpayer” and declared it “not salvageable.” Lake vowed to shrink the agency as small as is legally permissible, reinforcing the message of the administration that government-subsidized news organizations have had their time.

International and Domestic Reactions

The action has attracted criticism across the board from media liberty groups and international organizations. Paris-based Reporters Without Borders condemned the move, warning that it “threatens press freedom worldwide and negates 80 years of American history in supporting a free flow of information.”

Mike Balsamo, president of the National Press Club in Washington, also criticized the cuts, emphasizing that VOA has historically provided “fact-based, independent journalism to audiences worldwide, often in places where press freedom does not exist.”

Czech Republic Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky also chimed in, coming to the defense of RFE/RL as a “beacon” for those under authoritarianism. He underscored that the agency has been a vital source of news for citizens in Russia, Belarus, Iran, and Afghanistan where free reporting is incessantly under siege.

Strategic Implications and Broader Federal Workforce Cuts

VOA and USAGM were not the only government entities impacted by Trump’s severe efforts to cut federal agencies. His executive order affected several organizations, including the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, and the Minority Business Development Agency. Now, serious financial cuts threaten all of these institutions.

The move aligns with broader efforts by Trump and billionaire Elon Musk, who leads the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), to cut what they view as excessive government spending. Under Musk’s leadership, DOGE has slashed over 100,000 jobs across the federal civilian workforce, frozen foreign aid, and cancelled thousands of government programs and contracts.

Musk himself mocked the USAGM reductions, tweeting on X (formerly Twitter), “While sunsetting this world government propaganda bureau, it has been temporarily rebranded the Department of Propaganda Everywhere (DOPE).”

A Shift in America’s Approach to Soft Power

This conversion to gut USAGM is a conversion of United States government policy to soft power and global reach. VOA and similar government-sponsored media have played an important role in the past by challenging authoritarian propaganda and offering independent reporting in nations where government-owned media dominate.

They criticize that shutting these outlets hands regimes like China, Russia, and North Korea on a silver platter. Radio Free Asia president Bay Fang characterized the funding reduction as “a reward to dictators and despots, including the Chinese Communist Party, who would like nothing better than to have their influence go unchecked.”

However, its proponents argue that taxpayers shouldn’t be used to subsidize newspapers, which some conservatives think has demonstrated their political bias, and that the government doesn’t have to be in the news reporting business. White House officials made it clear in a press release that the provision stopped “taxpayers from being on the hook for radical propaganda.” But they also made a couple of accusations of left-leaning bias against VOA.

The Future of VOA and USAGM

As Trump and his allies pursue their agenda of shrinking the government, the fate of RFE/RL, VOA, and RFA hangs in the balance. Whether Congress or the judiciary will intervene to block the executive order is yet to be determined, but the implications for international reporting and U.S. foreign policy are significant.

For the moment, Voice of America’s rich legacy remains uncertain, with its reporters and friends wondering if the institution that, in the darkest times of history, dared to be a voice for truth across the globe would endure the newest political tumult.