The administration of President Donald Trump on Friday approved mass layoffs at Voice of America (VOA) and several other government-funded media organisations, despite legal opposition and warnings that the move could benefit America’s rivals on the global stage.
The directive, announced by Kari Lake—a strong Trump ally recently appointed to a top position at the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM)—affected hundreds of staff members. Lake described the action as a necessary step to overhaul what she termed a “bloated and unaccountable bureaucracy.”
In a statement, she pledged to work with the U.S. State Department and Congress to “modernize the storytelling of America and ensure it aligns with the country’s foreign policy objectives.”
On Friday, termination letters were reportedly issued to 639 employees. This comes after earlier efforts that included offering voluntary exits and ending contracts for temporary workers. In total, 1,400 positions have been cut, with just 250 roles remaining, according to Lake.
Among those laid off were journalists from VOA’s Persian service, some of whom had recently been reinstated amid escalating tensions following Israel’s military action against Iran last week.
The layoffs follow a March directive by President Trump which froze operations at Voice of America for the first time since its inception in 1942.
Critics have raised serious concerns. Three senior VOA journalists—Patsy Widakuswara, Jessica Jerreat, and Kate Neeper—filed a lawsuit against the move, insisting that the decision undermines decades of independent journalism dedicated to promoting democracy and countering authoritarian narratives globally.
In a joint statement, the plaintiffs said:
“This decision spells the death of 83 years of independent journalism that upholds the US ideals of democracy and freedom around the world. Moscow, Beijing, Tehran and extremist groups are flooding the information space with anti-American propaganda. Do not cede this ground by silencing America’s voice.”
Top Democrat on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Jeanne Shaheen, also condemned the move.
“This is a decimation of US broadcasting and a perversion of the law and congressional intent. It is a dark day for the truth,” she posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Voice of America, Radio Free Asia, and Radio Free Europe have long served as tools of U.S. soft power, broadcasting unbiased news into regions under authoritarian control or limited press freedom. Radio Free Europe, which once targeted Soviet bloc countries during the Cold War, has survived through support from the Czech government. However, many others, like Radio Free Asia, are now functioning with significantly reduced capacity.
Interestingly, one of the few outlets spared in the sweeping cuts is Radio Martí, which targets audiences in Cuba. The station reportedly enjoys strong support from Republican lawmakers of Cuban-American heritage who hold strong anti-communist views.
President Trump has long expressed frustration with media outlets, including VOA, often accusing them of bias and being overly critical of his administration. He has openly questioned the editorial independence traditionally upheld at VOA—known as the “editorial firewall”—which prevents political interference in news coverage.
As the legal challenge unfolds and criticism mounts, observers fear the drastic restructuring could weaken America’s voice abroad at a time of rising global disinformation campaigns.
