Washington, D.C. – June 14, 2025 — In a sweeping and controversial move, the administration of President Donald Trump on Friday ordered mass layoffs across Voice of America (VOA) and other U.S. government-funded media outlets, triggering outcry from journalists, lawmakers, and press freedom advocates who warn the decision imperils U.S. global influence and violates existing laws.
Termination notices were sent to 639 employees of the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the parent body overseeing VOA, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia, and other outlets. The dismissals come in the wake of an earlier Trump executive order in March that froze VOA operations—marking the first such suspension since the agency’s inception in 1942.
Friday’s purge follows voluntary exit offers and earlier contractor dismissals, and represents one of the most extensive downsizings in the history of U.S. international broadcasting. According to USAGM leadership, more than 1,400 positions have been cut in total, leaving only around 250 employees.
Kari Lake, a former television anchor and vocal Trump ally recently installed in a senior leadership role at USAGM, defended the move as a long-overdue effort to restructure what she called a “bloated, unaccountable bureaucracy.”
“We are modernizing the way America tells its story,” Lake said in a written statement. “These actions will ensure that our communications are aligned with U.S. foreign policy priorities and effectively counter our adversaries.”
But critics across the political spectrum described the move as a political power grab that undermines journalistic independence and weakens America’s strategic messaging in authoritarian media environments.
Global Ramifications
Among those affected were VOA’s Persian-language journalists, briefly reinstated to cover escalating tensions following Israel’s recent strikes on Iran. Their dismissal, despite surging regional instability, has prompted particular concern among foreign policy observers.
In a statement, three senior VOA journalists—Patsy Widakuswara, Jessica Jerreat, and Kate Neeper—warned the layoffs amounted to “the death of 83 years of independent journalism that upholds U.S. ideals of democracy and freedom.”
“Moscow, Beijing, Tehran, and extremist groups are flooding the information space with anti-American propaganda,” the journalists wrote. “Do not cede this ground by silencing America’s voice.”
Employees have filed a lawsuit challenging the legality of Lake’s actions, pointing out that Congress had already appropriated funding for the agencies now being gutted. The suit alleges violations of the law that guarantees editorial independence for U.S.-funded media.
Political Blowback
Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, condemned the decision, saying, “The decimation of U.S. broadcasting leaves authoritarian propaganda unchecked by U.S.-backed independent media and is a perversion of the law and congressional intent.”
“It is a dark day for the truth,” she posted on X, formerly Twitter.
The Trump administration has long been critical of VOA and its editorial firewall—an institutional safeguard meant to protect its reporting from political interference. Trump previously accused the outlet of being biased against his presidency.
One outlet notably spared by the layoffs is Radio Marti, which targets audiences in Cuba and has long enjoyed support from Republican Cuban-American lawmakers in Florida. Meanwhile, Radio Free Asia and Radio Free Europe, once central to U.S. Cold War strategy, now face reduced operations, with the latter surviving thanks to external funding from the Czech government.
An Uncertain Future
The dismantling of U.S.-backed international broadcasting comes amid rising global disinformation campaigns and democratic backsliding. Analysts say the move plays directly into the hands of America’s geopolitical rivals.
“This isn’t just a domestic staffing decision—it’s a strategic withdrawal from the information front lines,” said Sarah O’Hara, a former USAGM executive. “We are unplugging our microphone in the most contested media environments in the world.”
As legal battles unfold and Congress weighs its next steps, the long-term consequences for U.S. soft power and global credibility remain unclear.
But for now, one message resonates from inside the halls of VOA: the silence may soon be deafening.