White House Clarifies Reasons Behind Suspension of US State-Run Media
President Donald Trump's directive to eliminate funding for Voice of America (VOA) and its parent organization aims to relieve taxpayers from supporting what the White House describes as “radical propaganda.” In a statement released Saturday,...
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President Donald Trump's directive to eliminate funding for Voice of America (VOA) and its parent organization aims to relieve taxpayers from supporting what the White House describes as “radical propaganda.”
In a statement released Saturday, titled ‘The Voice of Radical America,’ the administration outlined several alleged violations by VOA.
As a long-time critic of the broadcaster, Trump signed an executive order on Friday to cut funding for the US Agency for Global Media, which oversees VOA. This order requires the agency to reduce its operations and staff to the minimal legal requirements and submit a compliance plan within a week. Following the directive, VOA director Michael Abramowitz announced that he had placed nearly all 1,300 staff members on administrative leave.
This decision has faced backlash from press freedom advocates. National Press Club President Mike Balsamo asserted that the cuts weaken America's commitment to a free and independent press, while Reporters Without Borders cautioned that the move “threatens press freedom worldwide.”
The White House contended that VOA has consistently breached journalistic standards and charged the outlet with systemic bias, citing over a dozen sources. Among those quoted was Dan Robinson, a 34-year veteran of VOA, who previously described the agency as a “hubris-filled rogue operation often reflecting a leftist bias aligned with partisan national media.”
The administration also referenced a report from the Daily Caller, alleging that several VOA reporters had shared anti-Trump sentiments on social media, thus violating the outlet's impartiality policy. Furthermore, it cited a 2022 letter from US Representative Scott Perry, who accused VOA of permitting “coercion for partisan political purposes.”
Other alleged transgressions detailed by the White House included mishandling of funds and coverage that was excessively favorable to former President Joe Biden. It also mentioned a 2022 lawsuit claiming that VOA had been “infiltrated by anti-American, pro-Islamic State interests.”
In support of the administration's position, USAGM’s Trump-appointed senior adviser, Kari Lake, labeled the agency as “a giant rot and burden to the American taxpayer,” asserting that it is “not salvageable.” She committed to scaling back the agency’s operations to the legal minimum, highlighting her own findings of irregularities, including allegations of infiltration by spies and terrorist sympathizers and claims of funding “fake news” organizations.
Alejandro Jose Martinez for TROIB News
In a statement released Saturday, titled ‘The Voice of Radical America,’ the administration outlined several alleged violations by VOA.
As a long-time critic of the broadcaster, Trump signed an executive order on Friday to cut funding for the US Agency for Global Media, which oversees VOA. This order requires the agency to reduce its operations and staff to the minimal legal requirements and submit a compliance plan within a week. Following the directive, VOA director Michael Abramowitz announced that he had placed nearly all 1,300 staff members on administrative leave.
This decision has faced backlash from press freedom advocates. National Press Club President Mike Balsamo asserted that the cuts weaken America's commitment to a free and independent press, while Reporters Without Borders cautioned that the move “threatens press freedom worldwide.”
The White House contended that VOA has consistently breached journalistic standards and charged the outlet with systemic bias, citing over a dozen sources. Among those quoted was Dan Robinson, a 34-year veteran of VOA, who previously described the agency as a “hubris-filled rogue operation often reflecting a leftist bias aligned with partisan national media.”
The administration also referenced a report from the Daily Caller, alleging that several VOA reporters had shared anti-Trump sentiments on social media, thus violating the outlet's impartiality policy. Furthermore, it cited a 2022 letter from US Representative Scott Perry, who accused VOA of permitting “coercion for partisan political purposes.”
Other alleged transgressions detailed by the White House included mishandling of funds and coverage that was excessively favorable to former President Joe Biden. It also mentioned a 2022 lawsuit claiming that VOA had been “infiltrated by anti-American, pro-Islamic State interests.”
In support of the administration's position, USAGM’s Trump-appointed senior adviser, Kari Lake, labeled the agency as “a giant rot and burden to the American taxpayer,” asserting that it is “not salvageable.” She committed to scaling back the agency’s operations to the legal minimum, highlighting her own findings of irregularities, including allegations of infiltration by spies and terrorist sympathizers and claims of funding “fake news” organizations.
Alejandro Jose Martinez for TROIB News
