US court supports Trump plan to cut funds for Voice of America
(MENAFN) A U.S. appellate court has supported President Donald Trump’s move to cut funding for Voice of America (VOA), overturning a lower court ruling that had temporarily blocked the shutdown of the government-funded broadcaster.
VOA and its parent agency, the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), were defunded in March as part of Trump’s broader initiative to reduce federal spending. In April, a federal judge in Washington issued an injunction to keep the agency operating, but the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 on Saturday that the lower court lacked authority to intervene in USAGM's personnel and funding decisions. The court concluded that the administration is likely to win the case on its legal merits.
Judge Cornelia Pillard dissented, expressing concern that the networks may be effectively dismantled before the case is fully resolved.
Kari Lake, a senior advisor at USAGM, celebrated the ruling on X, suggesting it curtails judicial overreach into agency operations. Meanwhile, Reporters Without Borders (RsF), which has been advocating to preserve VOA, initially hailed what it thought was a win when USAGM reactivated over 1,400 employee and contractor accounts, with programming expected to resume shortly.
The Trump administration has framed these cuts as part of a push to reduce unnecessary government spending and address the federal budget deficit. In his second term, Trump has also targeted other foreign policy-related agencies, accusing them of wasteful spending and potential corruption.
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