On March 14, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled “Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy,” which effectively dismantled the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the parent organization of Voice of America (VOA), Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and other government-funded media outlets. The order mandated that these agencies reduce their operations to the “minimum presence and function required by law,” leading to the immediate placement of over 1,300 VOA staff on administrative leave and the termination of federal grants to entities like Radio Free Asia. The White House framed the move as a necessary step to stop taxpayer dollars from funding what it called “radical propaganda,” accusing VOA of harboring a “leftist” and “anti-Trump” bias—a narrative echoed by Trump allies like Kari Lake, who was appointed as a senior adviser to USAGM and called the agency “not salvageable.” This action aligns with Trump’s long-standing criticism of VOA, dating back to his first term when he accused it of amplifying foreign propaganda, and reflects a broader push by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to slash federal spending, having already cut over 100,000 jobs across the government.
 

The executive order also targeted six other federal agencies, including the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness and the Institute of Museum and Library Services, directing them to eliminate all non-statutory functions. Critics argue this move tests the limits of presidential authority, as VOA’s charter, established in 1976, mandates its independence from government interference to ensure “accurate, objective, and comprehensive” journalism—a mission that reaches over 420 million people weekly in more than 100 countries. The shutdown has sparked alarm among journalists and press freedom advocates, with VOA Director Michael Abramowitz stating that the order cripples the agency’s ability to counter disinformation from nations like China, Iran, and Russia, which invest billions in their own state-controlled media. Meanwhile, posts on X reveal a polarized public reaction: some users celebrate the cuts as a blow to “taxpayer-funded, anti-American media,” while others lament the loss of a vital tool for promoting democracy abroad, with one user sarcastically noting Trump’s order as the “Stick it to My Media Enemies Executive Order.”
 

The fallout from the executive order has raised questions about the future of U.S.-funded international broadcasting and its role in global information warfare. Trump’s appointment of Kari Lake, a staunch MAGA loyalist, to oversee USAGM’s downsizing signals a potential shift away from VOA’s historical mission, with Lake vowing to eliminate “waste, fraud, and abuse” while shrinking the agency to its statutory minimum. However, the lack of transparency—journalists were barred from accessing USAGM systems and premises—has fueled concerns about press freedom under Trump’s administration, especially given his past threats to mainstream media outlets like CNN and MSNBC, which he has called “corrupt” and “illegal.” While the White House and its supporters argue that VOA’s alleged bias justifies the cuts, the absence of concrete evidence beyond right-wing media critiques and the timing of the order—amid Musk’s aggressive government reduction campaign—suggest a politically motivated effort to silence dissenting voices, potentially undermining America’s soft power at a time when global narratives are increasingly contested.