RFE/RL and VOA face closure after additional Trump-ordered funding cuts announced

On 14 March, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order entitled ‘Continuing the reduction of the federal bureaucracy’, which demanded that the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the parent agency that operates RFE/RL, Voice of America (VOA), and six other agencies reduce their operations.

A separate letter circulated in the media explicitly stated RFE/RL’s grant had been terminated, pursuant to the executive order.

The letter was signed by Kari Lake, listed as the ‘senior advisor to the acting CEO with authorities delegated by Acting CEO [sic]’ of the USAGM. Lake is a politician and conspiracy theorist nominated to the position by Trump, but has yet to be confirmed. She is best known for her failed run for Arizona governor in 2022 — after which she refused to accept or acknowledge her defeat — and another unsuccessful bid for Senate in 2024.

In a post shared on the USAGM’s website, Lake said ‘this agency is not salvageable’.

She specified that the executive order ‘will impact the agency’s workforce at USAGM, Voice of America, Office of Cuba Broadcasting, and all Grantees. Most USAGM staff affected by this action will be placed on paid-administrative leave beginning Saturday, 15 March 2025, and remain on leave until further notice’.

‘This is a significant step toward restoring the greatness of the US and promoting freedom and democracy’, Lake said in her concluding comments.

There was swift reaction and condemnation to the news that RFE/RL and VOA could be facing closure.

Both organisations were founded in the 1940s and have long been thought to be both a crucial source of news and information, particularly in regions with limited access to free media, as well as important elements of US soft power. The media outlets have often been credited with helping spread information and news to countries behind the Iron Curtain during the Cold War.

RFE/RL and VOA operate several branches in the Caucasus, publishing news and analysis in Russian, Georgian, Azerbaijani, Armenian, and Chechen.

RFE/RL President and CEO Stephen Capus said shutting down the organisation would be ‘a massive gift to America’s enemies’.

‘The Iranian Ayatollahs, Chinese communist leaders, and autocrats in Moscow and Minsk would celebrate the demise of RFE/RL after 75 years. Handing our adversaries a win would make them stronger and America weaker’, Capus said.

‘We’ve benefitted from strong bipartisan support throughout RFE/RL’s storied history. Without us, the nearly 50 million people in closed societies who depend on us for accurate news and information each week won’t have access to the truth about America and the world’.

Other bodies also reacted negatively to the news.

‘These media outlets have been a beacon of truth, democracy, and hope for millions of people around the world’, the European Commission told Politico.

‘In an age of unmoderated content and fake news, journalism and freedom of press are critical for democracy’.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemned the decision, with Programme Director Carlos Martinez de la Serna saying ‘It is outrageous that the White House is seeking to gut the Congress-funded agency supporting independent journalism that challenges narratives of authoritarian regimes around the world’.

As with other funding cuts ordered by the so-called Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE), headed by tech billionaire Elon Musk, the legality of unilaterally terminating contracts and grants — which have already been approved by Congress — is questionable.

Lake’s letter to RFE/RL noted that the organisation has 30 days to appeal the decision.

While there has been no official comment so far that the order will be challenged, an appeal is likely.

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