Trump Orders Dismantling of Voice of America: The End of Biased Media?
President Donald Trump has taken a decisive step against news agency Voice of America (VOA), the U.S.’s state-funded media outlet. Trump has long criticized VOA for promoting biased media reports. In a statement to Fox News Digital, a senior White House official said, “Voice of America has been out of step with America for years. It serves as the Voice for Radical America and has pushed divisive propaganda for years now.”
On Friday, Trump signed an executive order calling for the dismantling of seven government offices, including the United States Agency for Global Media, which is the parent company of VOA and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. The order states that the non-statutory components and functions of these entities should be eliminated to the maximum extent possible. It also calls for a reduction in personnel to the minimum required by law.
Kari Lake, who was appointed by Trump as the next chief of VOA in December, informed employees that their employment futures would be discussed in an email. Lake, a former news anchor and Republican Arizona political candidate, posted on X, “The President has issued an Executive Order titled Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy. It affects USAGM and its outlets VOA and OCB. If you are an employee of the agency please check your email immediately for more information.” OCB refers to the Office of Cuba Broadcasting, a Spanish language, government-funded radio and TV broadcaster.
According to the Wall Street Journal, employees received an email on Saturday informing them that their employment had been terminated. However, the exact number of affected employees remains unclear.
The order targets seven government agencies in total, including the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The move to dismantle VOA comes after the news outlet has faced criticism for promoting biased content. In January, VOA allegedly “sanitized” Hamas by failing to mention that residents in Gaza cheered the terrorist group as it paraded coffins holding the remains of Israeli hostages, including children.
This is not the first time VOA has faced controversy. In 2020, it ran an article titled “What Is ‘White Privilege’ and Whom Does It Help?” and was accused of downplaying the Hunter Biden laptop controversy during the 2020 presidential campaign. It has also been accused of reflecting a leftist bias aligned with partisan national media.
With Trump’s order to dismantle VOA, the future of this taxpayer-funded news outlet hangs in the balance. As the debate over biased media continues, the question remains: will this be the end of VOA or a new beginning for unbiased reporting?
