U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday urged Congress to shut down the Voice of America, accusing the taxpayer-funded broadcaster of promoting radical leftist views and calling it a "total, leftwing disaster."
In a post on his Truth Social platform, President Trump intensified his criticism of the Voice of America (VOA), saying it no longer serves its original mission and instead operates as a "Democrat mouthpiece."
"Why would a Republican want Democrat 'mouthpiece,' Voice of America (VOA), to continue?" he wrote. "It’s a TOTAL, LEFTWING DISASTER – No Republican should vote for its survival. KILL IT!"
This marks the second attempt by Trump to dismantle the broadcaster since returning to office. His comments were echoed by Kari Lake, his senior adviser overseeing the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees VOA. Speaking at a Capitol Hill hearing the same day, Lake described VOA as “outrageous,” “deeply corrupt,” and “a serious threat to our national security.”
Calls to dismantle the outlet date back to February, when Elon Musk, then serving as head of the Department of Government Efficiency, posted on X that VOA was "just radical left crazy people talking to themselves while torching 1 billion U.S. dollars a year of U.S. taxpayer money."
In March, the Trump administration released a statement labelling VOA as “The Voice of Radical America,” citing what it claimed were instances of “anti-Trump content on social media” and editorial guidelines instructing staff “not to call Hamas and its members terrorists, except when quoting statements.”
Since March, VOA has undergone sweeping layoffs. More than 1,400 employees have reportedly been dismissed, including more than 600 in the latest round of terminations last Friday, leaving the staff count below 200.
Founded in 1942 during World War II to counter Nazi propaganda, the Voice of America has historically been supported across the political spectrum as a vehicle for promoting American values and democratic principles abroad.
Its future now faces uncertainty as Congress weighs funding decisions under growing partisan pressure.
Georgia and Armenia have resumed talks on their 225-kilometre border after years of limited progress, with disputes over historical boundaries, far...
China has extended the suspension of its additional 24 per cent tariff on U.S. goods for another two months, while keeping a 10 per cent levy in pl...
Russia and Ukraine are set to return to Abu Dhabi on Tuesday for a fourth round of U.S.-brokered peace talks, with European participation, security...
The gunman who allegedly killed six people in Poland’s unprecedented mass shooting in central Kraków on Saturday has died in hospital, police said early Monday. The attacker had demonstrated advanced military-style marksmanship skills, according to a spokesperson for the shooting club he attended.
Poland has declared two days of national mourning after a gunman opened fire in Kraków's historic main square. Investigators are examining possible far-right influences and the discovery of three bodies at the suspect's home.
Monday marks the second of two days of national mourning in Poland as police bolstered security after six people were killed in a mass shooting in Kraków.
The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen's Houthis said it intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles fired by the Iran-aligned group towards Riyadh on Sunday (8 November), after loud booms were heard in the Saudi capital. The Aramco building was damaged by falling debris.
Azerbaijan is marking the sixth anniversary of Victory Day on Sunday, 8 November, with President Ilham Aliyev visiting the Victory Monument in Khankendi, laying a wreath and paying tribute to servicemen killed during the 44-day Second Garabagh War in 2020.
China has extended the suspension of its additional 24 per cent tariff on U.S. goods for another two months, while keeping a 10 per cent levy in place, as Beijing and Washington seek to maintain their fragile trade truce.
Russia and Ukraine are set to return to Abu Dhabi on Tuesday for a fourth round of U.S.-brokered peace talks, with European participation, security guarantees and territorial disputes expected to shape the negotiations.
The bodies of 13 migrants have been recovered from a boat off the Greek island of Crete, the Greek coast guard said on Monday. A further 18 people were rescued, with four taken to hospital.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog has tasked Gadi Eisenkot, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s main rival, with trying to form a government after an inconclusive election. The decision, announced on Saturday, follows a vote that left neither candidate with a clear path to power.
U.S. President Donald Trump is set to host Qatar’s prime minister at the White House on Monday as efforts to end the conflict with Iran stall, with Washington and Tehran still far apart on the terms of a possible agreement.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment