[By Guancha Observer Network, Xiong Chaoyi] After Trump retakes office and swings the axe at his own "voice", the Voice of America (VOA) is in turmoil...

The New York Times recently reported that the Trump administration informed Congress this week about a plan to cut almost all remaining employees of the "Voice of America". The letter sent on June 3rd to Jim Risch, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Republican Senator from Idaho, showed that as part of the proposed reorganization, the number of VOA employees would be reduced from approximately 1,400 journalists and administrative staff to less than 20 (18). Prior to this, about one-third of these 1,400 employees had already been laid off.

As early as March this year, U.S. President Trump had attempted to close the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees the "Voice of America" and other government "mouthpieces," as part of his advisor Musk's initiative to reduce the size of the federal government. Last month, the Trump administration was also considering selling the headquarters building of the "Voice of America" to further reduce the scale of government real estate.

Exterior view of the "Voice of America" building, The New York Times

The New York Times reported that this letter was signed by Kari Lake, an important ally of Trump, who was appointed Special Advisor to USAGM by Trump in February of this year. This agency is the parent organization of the "Voice of America".

The report stated that the proposed reorganization plan complies with Trump's directive to reduce the size of the federal government. The letter indicated that the latest round of layoffs would result in the "elimination of other news services provided by the Voice of America." As of March this year, the "Voice of America" claimed to broadcast in 49 languages to nearly 100 countries, reaching over 350 million listeners and readers.

According to the plan disclosed in the letter, the radio and television program department of the "Voice of America" will retain only 11 employees, each service department targeting Iran, China, and Afghanistan will retain two positions, and there will also be a CEO. This staffing level is less than 2% of its original total, while the U.S. Congress has allocated $260 million in operational funds to this news agency in the current fiscal year.

On March 14th, to eliminate waste and reduce excessive government power, Trump signed an executive order to continue reducing federal bureaucratic agencies. Among the eight federal agencies affected by this order were the USAGM, which oversees the "Voice of America" and other government "mouthpieces".

In a situation statement released on the White House website that day, it was mentioned that this executive order eliminated the "non-statutory functions" of these agencies and reduced the statutory functions of "unnecessary government entities" to within the "legal requirements".

Following Trump's instruction, dozens of employees of the "Voice of America" were reportedly notified of their suspension on March 15th, and some local stations of the media have stopped broadcasting news. Based on emails shared with Reuters by employees of the "Voice of America", these employees were placed on paid administrative leave and retained all benefits, "until further notice". This email, issued by a human resources director of the USAGM, instructed employees not to enter the workplace or access internal systems.

After this incident, some involved employees and "advocates for press freedom" filed lawsuits, and a federal judge ruled in April this year that the Trump administration must restore the news programs of these institutions according to Congressional authorization.

In response, Lake argued in the letter that her institution would comply with the court's orders and the law by retaining a small number of "Voice of America" employees, but she also stated that the latest layoffs would meet the "statutory minimum" staffing requirements.

Trump and Lake, File Photo

According to legal provisions, the executive branch must ensure that the "Voice of America" remains a "reliable and authoritative global news source" that "communicates directly with the people of various nations around the world." However, relevant laws do not specify a minimum number of employees.

A White House spokesperson referred inquiries regarding the proposal to Lake, emphasizing that the layoff plan has been approved by career officials within the agency and denied the claim that "almost everyone has been fired." She also noted in the letter that the current proposal may still be subject to adjustments.

"With such a small number of employees, it is impossible to produce content for a global audience of 360 million," said Patsy Widakuswara, a reporter for the "Voice of America," in a statement. She is leading a lawsuit against Lake and her media institution.

According to records, as the regulator of external news agencies funded by the U.S. government, the USAGM oversees several "external propaganda mouthpieces" of the United States—the "Voice of America," the "Radio Free Asia," the "Radio Free Europe," the "Middle East Broadcasting Network," the "Cuban Broadcasting Office," and the so-called "Open Technology Fund" supporting "internet freedom."

Nominally, they claim their mission is to tell the "American story" and promote "democracy and freedom," but in reality, they often conduct propaganda campaigns against rival countries of the United States. Besides fomenting trouble worldwide and interfering in the internal affairs of other countries, they sometimes even advocate "color revolutions."

In fact, since 2020, during Trump's first term in office, he has repeatedly targeted the "Voice of America" with criticism, claiming that taxpayer money was wasted without telling the "American story" well and even accusing it of "promoting Chinese propaganda." On April 15, 2020, Trump directly criticized the "Voice of America" during a press conference, calling its reports "disgusting."

The New York Times pointed out that since Trump returned to the White House, billionaire Musk and his leadership of the "Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE) have attempted to completely reshape the federal government by cutting personnel and projects. As early as February 9th this year, Musk posted on X, stating that the "Voice of America" and "Radio Free Europe" and other media, which serve as the "voice of the U.S. government," waste a large amount of taxpayers' money and should be closed down entirely.

On March 18th, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning presided over a regular press conference. A Bloomberg reporter asked: "U.S. President Trump plans to shut down organizations like the 'Voice of America' and 'Radio Free Asia.' Chinese media reports describe the 'Voice of America' as a factory of lies inciting conflict. What are your comments?"

"I won't comment on the reporting of Chinese media or domestic policy adjustments in the U.S.," Mao Ning said. "But I think it is no secret that certain American media outlets have a poor track record in their reporting on China-related issues."

This article is an exclusive piece by the Guancha Observer Network and cannot be reproduced without permission.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7512294904187126324/

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