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White House clarifies suspension of US state-run press
(MENAFN) The White House has justified President Donald Trump’s decision to cut government funding for Voice of America (VOA), stating that taxpayers should not be forced to support what it calls “radical propaganda.”
In a statement released Saturday, titled The Voice of Radical America, the administration outlined a series of alleged violations committed by the state-run media outlet. Trump, who has long criticized VOA, signed an executive order on Friday to reduce funding for its parent organization, the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM). The order requires the agency to downsize its operations to the minimum level required by law and submit a compliance plan within a week.
Following the directive, VOA director Michael Abramowitz announced that nearly all of the outlet’s 1,300 employees had been placed on administrative leave. The move has sparked backlash from press freedom organizations, with National Press Club President Mike Balsamo arguing that the cuts undermine America’s commitment to an independent press. Reporters Without Borders also warned that the decision could have global consequences for media freedom.
The White House, however, defended the action, accusing VOA of repeated journalistic misconduct and political bias. The administration cited multiple sources, including longtime VOA journalist Dan Robinson, who previously claimed the organization had become a “hubris-filled rogue operation” that leaned left in its coverage. Additionally, a Daily Caller report alleged that some VOA reporters had violated the organization’s impartiality policy by posting anti-Trump content on social media.
Further justifications for the funding cut included accusations of financial mismanagement and reporting that was allegedly biased in favor of former President Joe Biden. The administration also referenced a 2022 lawsuit claiming that VOA had been “infiltrated by anti-American, pro-Islamic State interests.”
USAGM senior adviser Kari Lake supported the defunding decision, describing the agency as a “giant rot and burden” on taxpayers. She argued that the organization was beyond saving, pointing to alleged security concerns such as infiltration by spies and terrorist sympathizers, as well as its reported involvement in financing “fake news” organizations.
In a statement released Saturday, titled The Voice of Radical America, the administration outlined a series of alleged violations committed by the state-run media outlet. Trump, who has long criticized VOA, signed an executive order on Friday to reduce funding for its parent organization, the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM). The order requires the agency to downsize its operations to the minimum level required by law and submit a compliance plan within a week.
Following the directive, VOA director Michael Abramowitz announced that nearly all of the outlet’s 1,300 employees had been placed on administrative leave. The move has sparked backlash from press freedom organizations, with National Press Club President Mike Balsamo arguing that the cuts undermine America’s commitment to an independent press. Reporters Without Borders also warned that the decision could have global consequences for media freedom.
The White House, however, defended the action, accusing VOA of repeated journalistic misconduct and political bias. The administration cited multiple sources, including longtime VOA journalist Dan Robinson, who previously claimed the organization had become a “hubris-filled rogue operation” that leaned left in its coverage. Additionally, a Daily Caller report alleged that some VOA reporters had violated the organization’s impartiality policy by posting anti-Trump content on social media.
Further justifications for the funding cut included accusations of financial mismanagement and reporting that was allegedly biased in favor of former President Joe Biden. The administration also referenced a 2022 lawsuit claiming that VOA had been “infiltrated by anti-American, pro-Islamic State interests.”
USAGM senior adviser Kari Lake supported the defunding decision, describing the agency as a “giant rot and burden” on taxpayers. She argued that the organization was beyond saving, pointing to alleged security concerns such as infiltration by spies and terrorist sympathizers, as well as its reported involvement in financing “fake news” organizations.
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