Trump Administration Fires Hundreds of Voice of America Employees [View all]
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."
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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
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/
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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
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