Trump Administration Fires Hundreds of Voice of America Employees

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: New York Times

Trump Administration Fires Hundreds of Voice of America Employees

The layoffs amounted to over a third of the media organization's staff, and came as the Trump administration put up for sale the federal building in Washington that houses the network.


Nearly 600 journalists and contractors were fired by the Trump administration on Thursday. Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

By Minho Kim and Tim Balk
May 15, 2025

The Trump administration on Thursday fired nearly 600 employees at Voice of America, a federally funded news network that provides independent reporting to countries with limited press freedoms.

The layoffs targeted contractors, most of them journalists but also some administrative employees, and amounted to over a third of Voice of America's staff. They signaled that the Trump administration planned to continue its efforts to dismantle the broadcaster despite a court ruling last month that ordered the federal government to maintain robust news programming at the network, which President Trump has called "the voice of radical America."

In another sign of the Trump administration's hostility toward the broadcaster, the federal building in Washington that houses the media organization was put up for sale on Thursday.(1)

Michael Abramowitz, the director of Voice of America, said in an email to his staff on Thursday that the firings were "inexplicable."

{snip}

Lydia DePillis contributed reporting.

Minho Kim covers breaking news and climate change for The Times. He is based in Washington.

(1) https://www.gsa.gov/real-estate/real-estate-services/real-property-disposition/assets-identified-for-accelerated-disposition

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/15/us/politics/trump-voice-of-america-firings.html

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https://www.nytimes.com/by/minho-kim
https://www.nytimes.com/by/tim-balk
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Hat tip, Joe.My.God.

Trump Admin Fires 600 Voice Of America Employees And Puts Organization's DC Headquarters Up For Sale
May 16, 2025

https://www.joemygod.com/2025/05/trump-admin-fires-600-voice-of-america-employees-and-puts-organizations-dc-headquarters-up-for-sale/
__________

April 22
Federal judge orders Trump administration to rehire all Voice of America and Radio Free Asia staff
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143445719

May 3
BREAKING: DC Circuit panel allows the Trump administration to block funding for and take other actions against VOA
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143452591

[no_hypocrisy]

1. One: Are they going to sue?

Two: Will Fox "News" replace VOA?

[mdbl]

5. That happened a long time ago

Judging by the amount of dolts watching it.

[Lovie777]

2. I thought a judge reinstated the program....

including cease the laying off and firing. A lot of smoke and mirrors going on from this fucked administration and the Republican Party.

Plus, backfire city.

[ananda]

7. Yes, I wanted to ask if this was violating a court order.

We'll see.

[riversedge]

3. MORE families being horribly hit, kids torn from friends and schools, savings-if they have them used to

stay above water if they can. All to please Trumps Ego--and WALLET--and his pals!!

[stillcool]

4. the federal building was put up for sale

by who? A while back there was talk about a bunch of properties being sold, but that didn't happen. Seems to be all part of the circus show. It is getting old. I feel like the frog in the soon to be boiling water. This kind of stuff has no effect.

[Fla Dem]

6. If those VOA terminated employees continue to work as the court ordered them to......

What can Trump and his gangsters do? VOA has a court order. Gov't has to continue to pay the ee's and honor their contracts. The gov't many not be able to arrest a criminal president , but surly there are no restrictions over the head of the USAGM, Senior Advisor Kari Lake. She probably took her orders from Musk or Trump. So jail her.

The Voice of America (VOA) is part of the United States government. It is an international broadcasting network funded by the U.S. federal government and overseen by the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM). While VOA is funded by the government, it's also intended to maintain editorial independence, as defined by its charter.

The US Agency for Global Media is an independent federal agency overseeing public service media networks that provide unbiased news and information.

https://www.usagm.gov/

[DENVERPOPS]

8. He needs to clear the way

for the upcoming, soon to be announced...........TRUMP PRAVDA........Government news network.................to replace all other media in the U.S......TV, Cable, Newspapers, Magazines, Radio......every Media communication group.

Fox will be the ONLY group allowed to apply to direct and operate what was the former "PRAVDA" in Russia...........