The president previously described the American media arm as biased and an unnecessary burden on taxpayers
A US federal judge has issued an injunction against the decision by the administration of President Donald Trump to cut funding for Voice of America (VOA), ordering the government to restore resources to the state-funded outlet.
VOA and its sister service, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, have long functioned as foreign-language broadcasting arms of the United States. The outlets were originally created during the Cold War to spread pro-Western propaganda in the Soviet bloc, with RFE/RL initially being financed by the CIA. Recently, both outlets have depended on grants from the US Congress.
Earlier this year, Trump ordered funding to be slashed for the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the federal body that oversees VOA and RFE/RL. The move forced the outlets to put their employees on unpaid leave. The decision has been framed by the Trump administration as part of a broader effort to dismantle bureaucratic influence networks and shift toward soft power efforts in line with “America First” principles.
On Tuesday, Judge Royce Lamberth of the US District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that Trump’s efforts to dismantle VOA were unlawful. The justice, appointed to the bench in 1987 by then-President Ronald Reagan, expressed concern over the abrupt defunding of the outlet, citing potential long-term harm to its employees and consumers.
In his ruling, Lamberth ordered the USAGM to restore funding to VOA and other outlets under its umbrella and barred the agency from blocking their operation. He further stated that Trump’s slashing of USAGM funding was done “without regard to the harm inflicted on employees, contractors, journalists, and media consumers around the world.”
Lamberth noted that his order does not apply to RFE/RL as he had previously already issued a temporary restraining order preventing the Trump administration from defunding the outlet.
Trump has described Voice of America as outdated, biased and an “unnecessary” burden on American taxpayers, saying it no longer serves the strategic interests of the country. His administration has sought to overhaul or eliminate many institutions associated with Cold War-era influence in favor of direct bilateral messaging.
In 2017, Russia’s Justice Ministry designated both VOA and RFE/RL as “foreign agents” and required the outlets to label their content accordingly. In early 2024, RFE/RL was further classified as an “undesirable organization,” effectively banning its operations in Russia and exposing affiliated individuals to legal consequences.
Following the US funding cuts, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in March that the decision was an internal matter but noted that “these outlets are not popular or in demand in Russia.”
