The White House explained why it decided to stop funding Voice of America (VOA). The Trump administration published comments on the broadcasterʼs work — most of the points used materials from various media outlets that discussed violations of journalistic standards. They emphasized that now "taxpayers will no longer be on the hook for radical propaganda".
“I have observed the agency’s bureaucracy with many of its reporters and have concluded that it has effectively become a self-serving, uncontrolled entity that often reflects a left-wing bias aligned with the partisan national media. It has sought to avoid accountability for journalistic violations and inefficient management,” said a 34-year veteran of the Voice of America and former White House correspondent Dan Robinson. The quote has been used by the Trump administration.
Here is the full list of the White Houseʼs accusations against the broadcaster:
- In July 2020, Voice of America was criticized for "spreading stories and videos that appear overly favorable to presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden".
- In October 2020, Voice of America reported on the alleged Russian role in the laptop scandal involving Hunter Biden, the son of then-US President Joe Biden. The story involved emails and other data on his laptop that allegedly indicated corrupt ties to the Biden family. The Trump administration believes that Voice of America ʼs publication undermined the credibility of the laptop story.
- Voice of America management has asked staff not to refer to Hamas and its members as terrorists, “except when quoting official statements”.
- In 2019, a story about transgender migrants seeking asylum in the United States appeared in the media.
- The White House also used another media outletʼs 2019 report that several Voice of America reporters had posted anti-Trump posts on their work Twitter accounts (now X).
- The White House also used a 2022 lawsuit as part of its arguments, alleging that Voice of America had been infiltrated by people with anti-American and pro-Islamic interests and that its content had been altered to benefit Islamic State factions in Iran. In September 2019, the Daily Caller reported that Voice of America had hired a Russian anti-American propagandist.
Additionally, Congressman Scott Perry wrote in a 2022 letter that VOA has become “extremely partisan over the past few years”. A 2016 Office of Human Resources report cited by Congressman Perry found that VOA Persian staffers reported “pressure to advance partisan political goals.” Among the arguments against the broadcaster was an article in The Washington Free Beacon titled “Voice of America Misallocates Funds, Hides Negative Stories About Iran. This Lawmaker Wants Investigation”.
The Trump administration also noted that in May 2019, Voice of America fired journalists for their role in canceling a live broadcast after pressure from the Chinese government. It also mentioned a Voice of America article titled “What is ʼwhite privilege’ and who does it help?” The White House says that the term is now widely used in the context of racial profiling — when police perceive people as suspects because of their race.
What preceded
On March 15, ABC News reported that a number of Voice of America employees had been placed on administrative leave.
Shortly after, the broadcasterʼs CEO Michael Abramowitz confirmed this and said that the entire Voice of America staff — more than 1 300 journalists, producers, and support staff — had been placed on administrative leave. He himself was included.
CEO of the Ukrainian service of the Voice of America Ruslan Petrychka stressed that the Ukrainian editorial office has also suspended broadcasting — all employees have been sent on administrative leave. According to Ruslan Petrychka, it is unknown what will happen next.
Voice of America is part of the US Global Media Agency, which also operates Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty (RFE/RL). It broadcasts in over 40 languages, while Radio Liberty broadcasts in over 20 languages. Its stated goals are independent journalism, investigation, and support for democracy.
RFE/RL President and CEO Steven Kapus said the media outlet had canceled a federal grant agreement that funded its global operations.
“Terminating the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty grant agreement would be a huge gift to America’s enemies. Iranian ayatollahs, Chinese communist leaders, autocrats in Moscow and Minsk will celebrate the closure of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in 75 years. A victory for our adversaries would make them stronger and America weaker,” Kapus emphasized.
According to him, throughout its existence, Radio Liberty has had bipartisan support in the United States.
Why did this happen?
This came after Trump signed an executive order on March 14 directing the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) and six other little-known agencies to reduce their operations to the minimum required by law, saying it was necessary to reduce bureaucracy.
Reuters notes that Trump, who clashed with Voice of America during his first term, wanted Kari Lake, his ally and former news anchor who has often accused mainstream media of being biased against Trump, to lead the network in his second term. He said this before his inauguration.
At the time, some VOA journalists expressed concern about the idea because Lake frequently criticizes the media and has disputed the results of previous elections. In late February, USAGM announced that Lake would join the agency as a special advisor.
Her appointment as VOA director has been delayed because Trumpʼs nominee for USAGM chairman — conservative political activist and author L. Brent Bozell III — is still awaiting a Senate confirmation hearing.
- Earlier, American billionaire and head of the new US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Elon Musk called for the closure of Radio Liberty and Voice of America. At the time, he said that no one listens to Radio Liberty and Voice of America, and called these media outlets “crazy left-wing radicals who talk to themselves, burning $1 billion a year of US taxpayer money”. The US government has historically portrayed Voice of America as a counterweight to foreign propaganda and a model of free, honest, truthful news coverage.
- During his first presidential term, Trump was in conflict with the Voice of America and accused the organization of strengthening Chinese propaganda after it showed a fragment of a light show on the occasion of the reopening of Wuhan, the city where the coronavirus pandemic began.
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