Overview

• On June 25, Lake testified before the House Foreign Affairs Committee defending cuts to 639 VOA positions and describing the agency as a “bloated unaccountable bureaucracy.”
• She revealed that VOA broadcast President Trump’s message in Farsi to Iranians during weekend bombings, signaling a shift toward direct presidential communication.
• Since March, Trump’s executive orders have eliminated about 85% of USAGM staff, leaving around 250 employees and raising alarms over the agency’s ability to counter foreign propaganda.
• Democrats warned the shake-up could turn VOA into a partisan outlet, while Republicans praised the effort to streamline operations and reduce perceived waste.
• A federal judge has ordered VOA to continue broadcasting and will hold a hearing on June 27 to address the administration’s non-compliance with that ruling.