Kari Lake Announces MASS TERMINATIONS — 85% Gone!

Kari Lake, one of Donald Trump’s most trusted allies, announced Friday a sweeping round of layoffs at the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), cutting about 1,400 jobs — an astonishing 85% of the agency’s workforce. Lake described the decision as a “decisive action” to implement President Trump’s second-term agenda of reducing the size of the federal government. In her words, USAGM will now operate at “near the statutory minimum,” calling it an example of “responsible government” that puts “American taxpayers first.”

Among those affected are employees at Voice of America (VOA), including staff from its Persian-language division. Some of those journalists had just returned to work following the recent surge in U.S.–Iran tensions. This move wasn’t entirely unexpected — many contract employees received preliminary layoff notices back in May. Now, those warnings have become reality. The cuts are part of a larger Trump administration effort to significantly scale down international broadcasting operations that it sees as ineffective, wasteful, or even working against American interests.

But not everyone agrees with this characterization. Inside VOA, the backlash has been intense. Several senior journalists — including White House bureau chief Patsy Widakuswara, press freedom editor Jessica Jerreat, and director of strategy Kate Neeper — issued a joint statement denouncing the layoffs as the “death of 83 years of independent journalism.” They warn that gutting the agency leaves the U.S. vulnerable to losing the global information war against adversaries like Russia, China, and Iran, who are flooding media channels with anti-American propaganda. These three employees, along with others, are now suing Lake and the administration over what they allege is political interference and unlawful retaliation.

Michael Abramowitz, the director of VOA, who was placed on involuntary leave but hasn’t received a termination notice (yet), added that the scale of this reduction “would eviscerate” the agency’s ability to provide uncensored news to people living in authoritarian regimes. Other arms of the USAGM, like Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia, and Middle East Broadcasting Networks, have also filed lawsuits in response to the move.

The Biden-era version of USAGM was widely supported by both Democrats and establishment Republicans who saw international broadcasting as a soft power tool for advancing freedom and democracy. But Trump and his allies see the agency as a bloated institution in need of a reset. To them, this was never about journalism — it’s about refocusing taxpayer resources, trimming bureaucracy, and reasserting control over institutions they believe are off mission.

Unless blocked by the courts or reversed by Congress, the mass layoffs will take effect September 1st. Critics say the move could open the door for hostile nations to dominate the global narrative, while supporters argue it’s a long-overdue correction. Either way, the impact will be felt around the world — and the political and legal battles are just getting started.