On the evening of March 14, 2025, local time, US President Trump signed an executive order to cut spending on the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM) and six other federal departments, reducing operations to the minimum required by regulations. The US Agency for Global Media is responsible for managing many of the US “external propaganda mouthpieces”, including “Voice of America”, “Radio Free Asia”, “Radio Free Europe”, etc.
On March 15, more than 1,300 employees of “Voice of America” were arranged for “leave”, and “Radio Free Asia” and “Radio Free Europe”, which are also operated by the US government, were also stopped from funding. Abramowitz, the current director of Voice of America, posted on LinkedIn on the 15th that almost all reporters, producers and assistants have been arranged for administrative leave.
The reasons for this move by the Trump administration mainly include the following aspects:
Economic considerations: The Trump administration may hope to save money by cutting overseas broadcasting budgets to achieve its economic goals such as reducing the federal deficit. The “Government Efficiency Department” led by Elon Musk believes that institutions such as Voice of America are wasting taxpayers’ money and have no meaning to exist.
Political factors: Trump may believe that these overseas broadcasting organizations have not effectively disseminated the American values and policy positions that he recognizes, and may even believe that some of their reports do not conform to his political ideas. For example, Trump has repeatedly directed his “fire” at “Voice of America”, saying that it spent taxpayers’ money but did not tell the “American story” well, and also claimed that it “helped China promote”.
Strategic adjustment: The Trump administration may have reassessed the US’s foreign propaganda strategy and believed that it was necessary to adjust overseas broadcasting organizations to better meet the needs of its foreign policy and national security.
This move has triggered different reactions. On the one hand, some people believe that this is the Trump administration’s suppression of press freedom and independent media, undermining the US commitment to press freedom and independence; on the other hand, some people believe that these overseas broadcasting organizations have long served as the “mouthpiece” of the US government, conducting ideological infiltration and public opinion warfare, and today’s adjustment is the result of changes in the US government’s internal strategy and policies.
