In a sweeping move that effectively ends most operations of the U.S.-funded international broadcaster Voice of America (VOA), the administration of President Donald Trump has fired hundreds of journalists, citing deep-rooted inefficiencies, waste, and political bias. The mass dismissals have wiped out nearly all remaining staff at the organization, marking the end of an 83-year-old institution that once stood as a beacon of American journalism abroad.
Established during World War II as a counter to Nazi propaganda, Voice of America has long functioned as a key tool of U.S. public diplomacy, offering independent news coverage in dozens of languages to countries with restricted or no press freedoms. But on Friday, the Trump-appointed leadership of VOA announced the termination of 639 employees, stating that the action was necessary to fulfill the administration’s promise to downsize the federal government.
“Today, we took decisive action to effectuate President Trump’s agenda to shrink the out-of-control federal bureaucracy,” said Kari Lake, who had been appointed by Trump to head VOA. Her announcement confirmed the mass firings, which followed months of internal uncertainty and political tensions.
Steve Herman, VOA’s chief national correspondent, described the sweeping staff cuts as “a historic act of self-sabotage.” For Herman and other veteran journalists within the organization, the decision dismantles an institution with a legacy of promoting press freedom and truth in places where such ideals are often under siege.
Among those terminated were members of the Persian-language service, a team that had recently been recalled to work after Israel launched strikes on Iran. However, their return to duty was short-lived. According to the Associated Press, several of the Persian reporters had stepped outside for a cigarette break on Friday when the termination notices were issued. Upon returning, they were denied re-entry to the building.
The scale of the dismissals has been staggering. Since March, over 1,400 employees — more than 85% of the agency’s staff — have lost their positions. Only 50 individuals are expected to remain on board across VOA, the Office of Cuba Broadcasting, and the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees and funds VOA and other similar outlets.
The decision to eliminate most of VOA’s workforce aligns with a March directive issued by Trump ordering the maximum possible elimination of VOA and USAGM within the boundaries of the law. The presidential order marked the culmination of a long campaign by Trump and his allies to rein in federally funded media outlets, which they accused of harboring left-leaning biases and straying from their original missions.
A group of three VOA journalists who have been involved in ongoing litigation to prevent the network’s closure issued a joint statement responding to the latest wave of firings. “It spells the death of 83 years of independent journalism that upholds US ideals of democracy and freedom around the world,” they wrote. The statement reflects deep concern that the dismantling of VOA undermines a historic American commitment to supporting free expression across the globe.
VOA, along with related outlets such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, has earned a reputation for providing reliable and independent news coverage in regions notorious for media suppression. Its reporters have operated in hostile environments like China, Russia, Cambodia, and North Korea, often at great personal risk, to bring credible journalism to audiences otherwise subjected to state propaganda.
Despite the international praise VOA has garnered over the years, critics within the U.S. have accused the agency of political bias. Dan Robinson, a former VOA correspondent, wrote in an opinion piece last year that the organization had turned into a “hubris-filled rogue operation often reflecting a leftist bias aligned with partisan national media.” This perception appears to have fueled support within conservative political circles for scaling back or completely defunding VOA and similar outlets.
Trump’s antagonism toward VOA fits into his broader narrative of opposition to U.S. media institutions. Throughout his presidency, Trump repeatedly criticized major media organizations, labeling them as “fake news” and encouraging his supporters to distrust mainstream journalism. He also pushed for defunding other federally supported public media, including National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), arguing that they too displayed political bias and no longer served the public interest.
While Trump’s efforts to cut public media funding faced resistance in Congress, his appointees were able to implement substantial administrative changes within USAGM. By replacing leadership and pushing forward with aggressive layoffs, the administration sought to reshape or dismantle media entities it viewed as adversarial or inefficient.
The closure of VOA’s core operations, however, is not without consequences. It marks a significant shift in how the United States engages in international broadcasting and public diplomacy. For decades, Voice of America has represented an American commitment to the free flow of information and the power of factual journalism in confronting authoritarian regimes. The agency’s motto, “A free press matters,” now hangs in stark contrast to the dismantling of its newsroom.
Kari Lake defended the decision, stating that the layoffs were an overdue response to internal dysfunction and mismanagement. The administration, she emphasized, aimed to “restore credibility and focus” to U.S. global media operations. However, critics view the mass firings not as a course correction, but as an ideological purge that sacrifices an essential democratic institution.
As the dust settles, the future of VOA remains deeply uncertain. With only a fraction of its workforce remaining and its global operations gutted, many fear that its ability to fulfill its original mission has been permanently compromised.
In a media landscape increasingly divided along political lines, the demise of a respected international broadcaster like VOA sends troubling signals about the United States’ commitment to defending press freedom, both at home and abroad. For the journalists who once worked there, and for the global audiences who depended on its coverage, the closures represent not just a bureaucratic change, but the end of an era.
Steve Herman’s words continue to resonate: the dismantling of VOA is indeed “a historic act of self-sabotage” — one that may not be easily reversed.