Donald Trump’s decision to significantly cut funding and operations at Voice of America (VOA) has triggered widespread outrage, with critics calling it a major setback for global democracy and a gift to authoritarian regimes. David Enrich of The New York Times reported on Saturday that, “Journalists at Voice of America were just informed that they’ve been put on administrative leave.”
He added that sources confirmed the action applied to all full-time employees, sharing an email that notified them of the decision. Ruth Ben-Ghiat, an authoritarianism expert, responded sharply to the news, stating, “Trump’s mandate as a Putin partner and ally of autocracy is to erase American democracy’s global footprint in terms of military, scientific, informational, humanitarian, and every other kind of influence: it’s all going to be shut off, go dark, be diminished.”
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VOA Director Michael Abramowitz expressed deep concern, saying, “I am deeply saddened that for the first time in 83 years, the storied Voice of America is being silenced. VOA needs thoughtful reform, and we have made progress in that regard. But today’s action will leave VOA unable to carry out its vital mission.”
Kari Lake, a failed GOP candidate who was appointed by Trump to oversee VOA, publicly supported the move. However, her endorsement did little to quiet the backlash. Journalist Josh Marshall weighed in, criticizing the legality of the move. “When you see headlines like ‘Trump orders closure of Voice of America,’ that’s not how it works. Congressional created, and funded part of the US government. All of this stuff is illegal.
Just because it’s happening doesn’t make it less illegal.” The founder of Frontelligence Insight called the decision “a devastating blow to democracy and a major gift to anti-American authoritarian regimes worldwide.” Branislav Slantchev, a political science professor at the University of California San Diego, reflected on VOA’s significance to those behind the Iron Curtain.
“VoA and [Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty] were the beacons of hope, the window into what the free world looked like, and they gave people hope to persist and eventually bring down the communist regimes that many thought would last forever.”
Despite the backlash, Trump ally Richard Grenell welcomed the cuts, arguing, “VOA and RFE lost their original mission a long time ago. I was complaining about their activism in 2005 when I saw the UN VOA correspondent embarrassed to push US government policy despite being paid by US taxpayers. They aren’t journalists. They are paid by the American people.”
Christian Christensen, a professor at Stockholm University, dismissed claims that VOA was a “left-wing propaganda” outlet, arguing, “VOA has been pumping out anti-leftist, pro-Capitalism propaganda for decades. These people literally have no idea what they are shutting down or why. The ignorance is utterly toxic.”
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Margaret McCuaig-Johnston, former Executive Vice-President of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, emphasized VOA’s historical role, recalling her time in China. “Trump just closed Voice of America. Autocrats worldwide are rejoicing. In 1979, I was in China, and VOA was the only source of info on the war raging between China and Vietnam. The Chinese employees in the hotel where we listened to it were even more interested.”
With critics warning of the dangerous precedent set by Trump’s decision, the future of U.S.-funded international broadcasting remains uncertain as global observers assess the ramifications of VOA’s abrupt silencing.
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