Trump Administration Fires Hundreds of Voice of America Staff in Sweeping Overhaul
The Trump administration has dismissed hundreds of journalists from Voice of America (VOA), effectively crippling the U.S. government-funded broadcaster that for decades served as a beacon of independent journalism in authoritarian regions.
The layoffs, announced Friday by VOA chief Kari Lake – recently appointed by President Trump – affected 639 employees, including many working in the Persian-language service. The firings represent the latest and most dramatic move in a months-long effort to restructure the outlet. Since March, more than 1,400 staff across VOA and its parent agency, the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), have lost their jobs – amounting to over 85% of the workforce.
In a statement, Lake defended the cuts as part of a broader effort to rein in what she described as “dysfunction, bias, and waste” across the agency. “Today, we took decisive action to effectuate President Trump’s agenda to shrink the out-of-control federal bureaucracy,” she said.
Only 50 employees are reportedly being retained across VOA, the Office of Cuba Broadcasting, and USAGM – an unprecedented downsizing in the organization’s 83-year history.
The firings follow Trump’s March directive instructing the “elimination” of VOA and other U.S.-funded media services “to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law.” The order prompted a wave of lawsuits and widespread backlash from press freedom advocates.
In a joint statement, three VOA journalists currently involved in litigation to prevent the shutdown described the move as “the death of 83 years of independent journalism that upholds U.S. ideals of democracy and freedom around the world.”
VOA, established in 1942 to counter Nazi propaganda during World War II, has long been recognized for its reporting in countries where free press is restricted, including China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.
Friday’s purge reportedly included journalists from VOA’s Persian service who were placed on administrative leave earlier this year. According to the Associated Press, those individuals were called back to work in the wake of Israeli airstrikes on Iran but were barred from re-entering the building after stepping out for a break – learning they had been dismissed.
Steve Herman, VOA’s chief national correspondent, described the mass firing as a “historic act of self-sabotage.”
Former VOA correspondent Dan Robinson, who has previously criticized the outlet, welcomed the restructuring. In a 2023 op-ed, he accused VOA of drifting from its original mission, alleging it had adopted a “leftist bias” in line with mainstream U.S. media.
President Trump’s move against VOA aligns with his broader efforts to curb government support for publicly funded media. He has also called on Republicans to eliminate federal funding for NPR and PBS, both of which he has repeatedly criticized for perceived political bias.
The future of Voice of America remains uncertain as its newsroom sits nearly empty – a stark contrast to its decades-long role as a global advocate for press freedom and American democratic values.
