Donald Trump’s abrupt order to close the federal agency that oversees the Voice of America sparked condemnation over the weekend from journalists working for the outlet.
Shutting VOA down is “a national security issue,” Steve Herman, a longtime VOA journalist who was suspended in February, wrote on his Substack Sunday. “There will be celebrations in the autocratic halls of power this weekend in Moscow, Minsk, Beijing, Pyongyang and Tehran,” he added.
VOA, along with Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty and Radio Free Asia, “have been among the most effective instruments of American soft power — a bridge to those who may never set foot on our soil, but understand our values because they heard them in one of the dozens of languages in which we broadcast,” Herman continued.
Founded in 1942 to broadcast uncensored news into Axis-controlled territories during World War II, Voice of America had a worldwide reach of more than 350 million in 2023. That ended abruptly on Friday, when Trump signed an executive order Friday dismantling the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which oversees VOA, Radio Free Europe/Asia and Radio Liberty.
The Executive Order “eliminates non-statutory functions and reduces statutory functions of unnecessary governmental entities to what is required by law,” and continues the president’s stated aim to “reduce unnecessary governmental entities and Federal advisory committees.” Hundreds of journalists, employees, and executives at the network were placed on paid leave.
But many critics noted the clear possibility this was a retaliatory decision, as it came days after a Voice of America reporter angered Trump by asking a question he didn’t like. Taking questions in the Oval Office alongside the Irish Prime Minister, the reporter asked, “What about the president’s plan to expel Palestinians out of Gaza?” Trump responded, “Nobody is expelling Palestinians. Who are you with?” The reporter replied, “Voice of America” and Trump snapped back, “Oh, no wonder.”
Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty CEO Stephen Capus was even harsher, declaring that the end of these outlets “would be a massive gift to America’s enemies. The Iranian Ayatollahs, Chinese communist leaders, and autocrats in Moscow and Minsk would celebrate the demise of RFE/RL after 75 years. Handing our adversaries a win would make them stronger and America weaker.”
“We’ve benefitted from strong bipartisan support throughout RFE/RL’s storied history. Without us, the nearly 50 million people in closed societies who depend on us for accurate news and information each week won’t have access to the truth about America and the world,” he said also.
VOA director Michael Joshua Abramowitz also condemned Trump’s shutdown of the network. “I am deeply saddened that for the first time in 83 years, the storied Voice of America is being silenced,” Abramowitz wrote on Facebook. “I learned this morning that virtually the entire staff of Voice of America—more than 1300 journalists, producers and support staff—has been placed on administrative leave today. So have I.”
The network needs “thoughtful reform,” he said, and “we have made progress in that regard. But today’s action will leave Voice of America unable to carry out its vital mission. That mission is especially critical today, when America’s adversaries, like Iran, China, and Russia, are sinking billions of dollars into creating false narratives to discredit the United States.”
“VOA promotes freedom and democracy around the world by telling America’s story and by providing objective and balanced news and information, especially for those living under tyranny. Even if the agency survives in some form, the actions being taken today by the Administration will severely damage Voice of America’s ability to foster a world that is safe and free and in doing so is failing to protect U.S. interests,” Abramowitz added.
The move to cut off VOA is seen as part of the Trump administration’s larger attacks on a free press and freedom of speech in the United States and came hours after he delivered a dark, conspiratorial and unconstitutional speech at the Department of Justice threatening to prosecute his political enemies, including media outlets that air negative stories about him.
“The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and MSDNC, and the fake news, CNN and ABC, CBS and NBC, they’ll write whatever they say,” Trump said. “And what do you do to get rid of it? You convict Trump. “It’s totally illegal what they do. I just hope you can all watch for it, but it’s totally illegal.”
That claim is in violation of the letter and spirit of the First Amendment to the US Constitution, which states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
Trump also recently sidelined the White House Corrpondents Association entirely, revoking that group’s right to choose who covers the white house. He has also banned several publications outright from White House access and replaced them with what are essentially right wing propaganda outlets. The WHCA effectively threw its hands up and has since done nothing.
That move came after multiple outlets were already banned for displeasing Trump, including AP which Trump punished for refusing to call the Gulf of Mexico “Gulf of America.” The WHCA did nothing to push back against these actions and unaffected media outlets generally did not show solidarity with their colleagies.
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