Trump moves to cut more than 500 Voice of America employees despite court ruling

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The federal government under President Trump’s administration has initiated plans to dismiss over 500 employees from the Voice of America, a media network that receives government funding and offers news coverage in regions where press freedom is limited.

In March, Trump administration officials initially aimed to shut down certain newsrooms within the organization. However, Judge Royce C. Lamberth of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ordered the network’s reinstatement in April, arguing that a law mandating continuous Voice of America broadcasts was being violated.

In contrast to the court’s decision, Kari Lake, who currently serves as the acting head of Voice of America’s governing body, shared on social media on Friday evening that a total of 532 government roles have been terminated.

As a movie buff, I used to marvel at Voice of America’s role as a global news broadcaster, reaching an impressive audience of 360 million weekly listeners in 49 different languages, including the vast territories of Russia and China. However, fast forward to now, and the network has streamlined its programming to only four languages: Persian, Mandarin, Dari, and Pashto.

In his writing, Lake stated that the layoffs “are expected to strengthen [the agency’s] capacity to operate effectively and deliver truth to individuals residing in oppressive Communist regimes and other autocratic systems worldwide.

Previously, about 1,300 Voice of America journalists either had been let go or were on paid suspension before these terminations. Now, only around 100 journalists and other employees still work for the organization.

Following a request from the remaining staff members for confirmation that the administration adhered to his April decision, Lamberth discovered they seemed to be out of compliance.

This week, he demanded that Lake testify under oath in a hearing and warned her with the possibility of being held in contempt if she defied the court orders. Additionally, he prevented the administration from dismissing the Voice of America director, Michael Abramowitz, on the very day when layoffs were announced.

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2025-08-30 22:31