USAGM moves to shut down Voice of America; staff sue, win reversal
USAGM Senior Advisor Kari Lake moved to shut down Voice of America operations under an executive order to shrink the federal bureaucracy; VOA journalists sued, and a federal judge ordered staff reinstated pending litigation.1
- Country
- United States
- Where
- United States
- Level of government
- National
- Tactic
- Funding and ownership pressure
- Outcome
- Unknown
- Era
- The 2020s
What happened
Following a March 2025 executive order directing federal agencies to reduce their workforce, Kari Lake, installed as Senior Advisor at the U.S. Agency for Global Media, moved to shut down Voice of America's operations, cancelling leases and placing nearly the entire VOA staff on administrative leave beginning around March 15, 2025. VOA and USAGM journalists, represented in part by AFGE, sued the Trump administration and Lake on March 21, 2025, arguing the shutdown violated the statute establishing VOA's editorial independence. A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order on March 28, 2025 requiring the agency to restore operations; further staff cuts and litigation continued into 2026, including a March 2026 order returning roughly 1,000 VOA staffers to work.1234
Litigation over VOA's staffing and operations continued into 2026, with courts repeatedly ordering the agency to restore staff and functions.4
What reason was given
The administration framed the action as part of a broader executive order to "reduce the federal bureaucracy" and cut costs, including cancelling what USAGM called an "obscenely expensive 15-year lease."2
What changed for reporting
VOA's broadcasts to audiences in countries with restricted domestic press, including Iran, China and Russia, were interrupted; hundreds of journalists were placed on leave or laid off.3
Timeline
2025
Who acted
| Name | Role in this incident | Office at the time |
|---|---|---|
| Donald Trump | ordered | President of the United States |
| Kari Lake | enforced | Senior Advisor, U.S. Agency for Global Media |
| U.S. Agency for Global Media | enforced | Federal agency overseeing Voice of America |
Outlets and journalists
| Name | Kind | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| Voice of America | outlet | affected |
Sources
- Voice of America journalists sue Trump administration, Kari Lake over shutdown
- Judge invalidates Trump administration's attempts to dismantle Voice of America
- USAGM complies with presidential executive order to reduce the federal bureaucracy
- Voice of America's full-time staff and contractors placed on leave following Trump directive
- Widakuswara v. Kari Lake, temporary restraining order
Claims cited
- USAGM began winding down VOA operations and placing staff on leave.
Most USAGM staff affected by this action will be placed on paid-administrative leave beginning Saturday, March 15, 2025, and remain on leave until further notice.
Voice of America journalists sue Trump administration, Kari Lake over shutdown, NPR, 2025-03-21. Claim 40, checked 2026-09-22. - USAGM said the actions complied with a presidential executive order to shrink the federal bureaucracy.
Obscene over-spending including a nearly quarter-of-a-million-dollar lease for a Pennsylvania Avenue high-rise that has no broadcasting facilities to meet the needs of the agency
Voice of America journalists sue Trump administration, Kari Lake over shutdown, NPR, 2025-03-21. Claim 41, checked 2026-09-22. - VOA's programming to audiences abroad was interrupted as most staff were placed on administrative leave.
today's action will leave Voice of America unable to carry out its vital mission. That mission is especially critical today, when America's adversaries, like Iran, China, and Russia, are sinking billions of dollars into creating false narratives to discredit the United States.
Judge invalidates Trump administration's attempts to dismantle Voice of America, American Federation of Government Employees, 2025-03-22. Claim 42, checked 2026-09-22. - A federal judge invalidated the shutdown attempt and ordered VOA operations restored pending litigation.
temporarily enjoined defendants from taking actions to reduce USAGM's workforce (whether employees, contractors, or grantees)
Judge invalidates Trump administration's attempts to dismantle Voice of America, American Federation of Government Employees, 2025-03-22. Claim 43, checked 2026-09-22.