The Trump administration has ordered the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM) to cut over 500 jobs across its state-funded propaganda outlets, aiming to reduce federal bureaucracy and save taxpayer money. Acting CEO Kari Lake stated the cuts would ‘reduce federal bureaucracy, improve agency service, and save the American people more of their hard-earned money.’ The move follows previous layoffs in June, which affected over 600 employees, including the dismissal of VOA director Michael Abramowitz, who was later reinstated after a court ruling deemed the firing procedurally flawed.
USAGM, which oversees Voice of America (VOA), Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and other state-funded broadcasters, announced the cuts to 532 positions on Friday. Lake did not detail which divisions would be most affected, but said the agency would ‘improve its ability to function and provide the truth to people across the world who live under murderous Communist governments and other tyrannical regimes.’ The agency’s budget for 2024 was $882 million, according to recent reports.
Founded in 1942 to counter Nazi propaganda, VOA later became a Cold War propaganda tool under the CIA. Trump has labeled its current incarnation a ‘leftwing disaster’ and ‘Democrat mouthpiece,’ and in June called on Republicans to ‘kill’ the outlet. Russia revoked VOA’s radio license in 2014 and fully banned the broadcaster in 2022, citing biased coverage of the Ukraine conflict. The latest layoffs come amid ongoing legal battles over the previous round of cuts, with a federal judge recently ruling that the administration had not followed proper procedure in firing Abramowitz.