Trump appointee Kari Lake plans major cuts to Voice of America broadcasts
Kari Lake, the former Arizona TV news anchor who ran for governor of Arizona in 2022 and for Senate in 2024, has been appointed by President Trump to lead the U.S. Agency for Global Media. Lake, who has been vocal in her criticism of the agency, recently testified before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, calling the organization ‘rotten to the core’ and advocating for its shutdown.
She believes that the VOA and other government media outlets are outdated and ineffective in today’s digital age. Lake plans to overhaul the Agency for Global Media, which includes VOA, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the Office of Cuba Broadcasting, Radio Free Asia, and the Middle East Broadcast Networks.
During the hearing, Lake revealed that Chinese spies had infiltrated the VOA’s Mandarin service and Russian operatives had almost been hired at Radio Free Europe. This raised concerns among lawmakers, with some Democrats arguing that cutting back on government-funded media broadcasts would silence the U.S. in transmitting news and truthful information into enemy territories.
However, Republicans like Rep. Young Kim of California expressed worries that dismantling Radio Free Asia would hand over power to China and North Korea. Kim emphasized the importance of VOA and Radio Free Asia in providing crucial information to closed-off societies like North Korea.
Lake recently laid off 639 Global Media employees as part of her efforts to revamp the agency. She cited an executive order from President Trump as the basis for her decisions, which drew criticism from Democrats who accused her of being a propaganda machine for the Trump Administration.
Despite facing tough questions from Democrats about her political history and controversial statements, Lake found some support from Rep. Bill Huizenga, a Republican from Michigan. He asked Lake about the essential stories and values of America that she believes should be broadcast globally, to which she emphasized the country’s history, freedoms, and liberties.
The future of VOA and Global Media remains uncertain as Congress prepares to decide on funding for the organizations in the coming months. The outcome of these decisions will determine whether the microphones of these government broadcasters fall silent for good.
