Judge Blocks Trump Move To Shut Global News Outlet

Federal Judge Royce Lamberth has blocked President Trump’s effort to dismantle Voice of America, ruling the administration acted illegally by withdrawing funding and laying off employees from the global news agency.

Key Takeaways

Judge Lamberth ruled that President Trump illegally halted Voice of America operations and ordered restoration of its funding and staffing to pre-Trump levels
The ruling also protects Radio Free Asia and Middle East Broadcasting Networks, though requests for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty were denied
Trump appointed ally Kari Lake to lead the Agency for Global Media, where she called VOA “unsalvageable” without providing evidence
The administration accused VOA of “leftist bias” while VOA’s lawyers maintained the organization reports “truthfully, impartially, and objectively”
Voice of America has operated continuously since 1942 until Trump’s March 15th executive order attempted to shut it down

Court Rebukes Administration’s Media Shutdown

In a significant decision affecting international broadcasting, Federal Judge Royce Lamberth has ordered the restoration of Voice of America’s operations after President Trump attempted to dismantle the long-running news service. The ruling declared that the administration acted illegally when it slashed funding and dismissed employees from the organization that has broadcast American news internationally for over eight decades. The judge’s decision provides immediate relief for VOA along with Radio Free Asia and Middle East Broadcasting Networks, though similar requests for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty were not granted.

The Trump administration’s actions against VOA were characterized as “hasty” and “indiscriminate” by critics, reflecting a broader pattern of targeting institutions viewed as ideologically opposed to the president’s agenda. Voice of America had operated continuously since its founding in 1942 until March 15, when President Trump signed an executive order to dismantle its parent organization, the U.S. Agency for Global Media. The move tested constitutional boundaries, as Congress had established VOA as independent and specifically limited presidential authority over it in legislation passed in 2020.

Voice of America is authorized by Congress, which appropriates funding every year to run its operations. Trump's job, under the Constitution, is to ensure that those laws be faithfully executed. Of course he couldn't kill VOA. https://t.co/ypo1C9SX2n

— James Surowiecki (@JamesSurowiecki) April 22, 2025

Clashing Claims Over VOA’s Mission

The conflict over Voice of America centers on fundamentally different views of the organization’s purpose and performance. President Trump labeled VOA “the voice of radical America” and accused it of spreading “anti-American” content and partisan “propaganda.” Administration officials consistently maintained VOA harbored a “leftist bias” and needed to be reformed to present more “pro-American” perspectives to international audiences. The criticism marked a significant departure from VOA’s traditional standing as a respected international broadcaster.

The administration appointed Kari Lake, a strong Trump ally, to oversee the Agency for Global Media. Lake publicly declared VOA “unsalvageable” and accused it of “waste, fraud and abuse” though court documents showed she provided no specific evidence to support these allegations. Judge Lamberth’s ruling specifically addressed this lack of substantiation, noting that the administration had used federal funds to dismantle programs based on ideological objections rather than documented performance issues.

Historical Context and Broader Implications

Voice of America was originally established during World War II to counter Nazi propaganda and later evolved to project American values during the Cold War. Today, it continues its mission of providing reliable news to regions with limited access to free media, broadcasting in more than 40 languages. Labor unions representing VOA journalists praised Judge Lamberth’s ruling as an affirmation of independent journalism’s essential role in supporting democratic values around the world.

This case represents one of several challenges to President Trump’s executive authority currently before Judge Lamberth. The decision aims to close loopholes in previous rulings that had allowed the administration to maintain the closure of VOA’s newsroom despite earlier court interventions. It also highlights ongoing tensions between the executive branch and post-war institutions established to promote American interests and values abroad, including USAID, which tech entrepreneur Elon Musk recently characterized as a “viper’s nest of radical left Marxists.”