Kari Lake lays off hundreds at VOA parent agency amid legal battle

Source: Politico

08/30/2025 02:07 PM EDT


The Trump administration on Friday issued termination notices to 532 remaining employees at the U.S. Agency for Global Media, the parent agency of Voice of America, the latest blow to the embattled media outlet as it faces a string of destabilizing attacks from President Donald Trump and his officials.

Kari Lake, designated by Trump to oversee the dismantling of VOA and other networks controlled or funded by USAGM, announced the reduction in force in a post to X on Friday night.

“Tonight, the U.S. Agency for Global Media initiated what is known as a reduction in force, or RIF, of a large number of its full-time federal employees,” Lake wrote. “We are conducting this RIF at the President’s direction to help reduce the federal bureaucracy, improve agency service, and save the American people more of their hard-earned money.”

The move is the latest twist in the unfolding saga over the government-backed global media network — originally created to combat Nazi disinformation during World War II — which the Trump administration has targeted as part of its sweeping efforts to cut back on federal spending. Virtually all VOA staff members were placed on administrative leave in March following an executive order issued by Trump demanding USAGM’s dismantling. Most of VOA’s publishing channels have been effectively dormant since then.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/30/voice-of-america-firings-kari-lake-00538086