Donald Trump Begins Mass Termination of Voice of America Workers—The Reason Will Shock You!

On Sunday, Voice of America’s (VOA) contractual employees were informed via email from the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) that they would be placed on leave as early as March 31. The message, obtained by Al Jazeera, explicitly directed all contract workers to “cease all work immediately.” Furthermore, these employees were instructed not to access any USAGM systems or enter agency buildings, effectively cutting them off from their roles without prior warning.

Misha Komadovsky, a White House correspondent for VOA’s Russian-language service, confirmed the development on X (formerly Twitter), writing, “Contractors, including myself, at Voice of America, have just received an email notifying us that our contracts will be terminated effective March 31, 2025.” The move has been met with strong opposition from press freedom organizations such as the Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters Without Borders, which have condemned the administration’s actions as “dystopian” and a direct attack on independent journalism.

The White House, however, has defended its decision, citing persistent criticism of VOA from conservative lawmakers and media figures. The administration has framed the move as an effort to “ensure taxpayers are no longer on the hook for radical propaganda,” arguing that the government-funded broadcaster has strayed from its intended purpose. This justification echoes long-standing grievances voiced by Donald Trump and his allies, who have repeatedly accused VOA of amplifying narratives that align with America’s adversaries rather than its citizens.

Trump’s animosity toward VOA dates back to his first term in office when he publicly accused the network of being a mouthpiece for foreign interests. More recently, Elon Musk has also taken aim at U.S.-funded media, labeling them as platforms controlled by “radical left crazy people talking to themselves.” Meanwhile, in a move that further underscored the administration’s hostility toward the press, the White House barred Associated Press from multiple events after the news agency refused to adopt “Gulf of America” as the new name for the Gulf of Mexico.

Following Friday’s executive order, former VOA bureau chief for South Korea and Indonesia, Brian Padden, took to Facebook to denounce the decision. Recalling his career as a journalist, Padden detailed the dangers he had faced in the field, including being fired upon, physically assaulted, and nearly decapitated by an exploding helicopter in Eastern Ukraine. He recounted being harassed by pro-Russian militants in 2014, who accused him and his VOA crew of being agents of American propaganda. “Both Musk and the Russian militants are wrong,” he asserted. “VOA does not do propaganda. VOA reports the news, which includes perspectives from both supporters and critics of the President.”

Originally founded during World War II as a countermeasure against Nazi propaganda, Voice of America now finds itself struggling to survive amid sweeping budget cuts and program cancellations. In several regions, including the Middle East and Asia, entire broadcasts have been taken off the air, with some replaced by music programming. As its funding and influence diminish, the broadcaster faces an uncertain future, raising serious concerns about the state of government-backed journalism and press freedom in the United States.