Democrats clash with USAGM senior advisor Kari Lake over plans to gut operations

Kari Lake, the senior advisor overseeing Voice of America (VOA) at the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), made headlines with her bold testimony before Congress, declaring the agency as “rotten to the core” and vowing to clean it up by 2026. Lake’s testimony was met with mixed reactions from both Republicans and Democrats on the House Oversight Committee.

Lake, appointed by President Trump to reform the agency, pulled no punches in her assessment of USAGM. She likened the agency to a “rotten piece of fish” that should be scrapped entirely and rebuilt from the ground up. She accused the agency of being compromised by external influences, such as the Chinese Communist Party, and failing to uphold American values in its broadcasts.

In response to Lake’s testimony, House Oversight Chair James Comer and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene demanded records on USAGM’s foreign hires, conflicts of interest, and its handling of disinformation and national security. President Trump himself took to Truth Social to criticize VOA as a “total, leftwing disaster” and called for its closure.

Democrats on the committee pushed back against Lake’s plans to downsize the agency, accusing her of dismantling a strategic asset and aligning with anti-VOA rhetoric. However, Lake remained steadfast in her mission to reduce USAGM to its statutory minimum, as mandated by President Trump’s executive order.

Despite facing criticism from Democrats, Lake found support from Republicans on the committee, who agreed that the agency was in need of reform. Rep. Tim Burchett expressed the view that USAGM should have been shut down years ago, echoing Lake’s sentiment that it was a relic in need of modernization.

In her closing remarks, Lake emphasized the need to operate USAGM more efficiently and align its operations with American values. She defended the proposed cuts as necessary to bring the agency in line with its statutory requirements and ensure that taxpayer dollars were being used effectively.

Overall, Lake’s testimony shed light on the challenges facing USAGM and the need for reform within the agency. While her plans to overhaul the agency may face opposition from some quarters, it is clear that she is committed to cleaning up USAGM and restoring its credibility as a voice for American values on the global stage.