President Trump just issued a new order cutting back Voice of America. The order also hits VOA's parent group, the US Agency for Global Media, which runs Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia. These stations were first created to fight communist messages. Trump wants these agencies to shrink to the bare minimum required by law.
Mike Abramowitz runs VOA and says he and almost all 1,300 workers have been sent home with pay. He warns this hurts VOA's key job at a time when countries like Iran, China, and Russia spend huge money to spread false stories about America. The Trump team hasn't said why they did this or if these stations will close forever.
CBS News learned about this through an email from Crystal Thomas, who handles human resources at USAGM. Someone told CBS that all part-time workers can't be paid anymore. Other emails show Radio Free Asia and Radio Free Europe lost their money completely. VOA reaches more than 400 million people worldwide, similar to BBC World Service, which gets money from the British government.
Elon Musk has pushed for VOA to shut down on his X platform. He helped Trump cut government groups even though voters didn't elect him. Trump also stopped money for agencies that help homeless people and support museums and libraries. Trump hated VOA during his first term as president. He recently picked loyal supporter Kari Lake as special adviser for the US Agency for Global Media.
Trump keeps saying most news outlets hate him. He called CNN and MSNBC "corrupt" and "illegal" during a speech but gave no proof. VOA started back in 1942 to fight Nazi and Japanese lies. They made their first broadcast using a BBC transmitter. Former president Gerald Ford signed rules in 1976 to keep VOA free from political control. By 1994, a special board watched over all non-military broadcasts. Then in 2013, the law changed to let VOA air shows inside the United States.
Mike Abramowitz runs VOA and says he and almost all 1,300 workers have been sent home with pay. He warns this hurts VOA's key job at a time when countries like Iran, China, and Russia spend huge money to spread false stories about America. The Trump team hasn't said why they did this or if these stations will close forever.
CBS News learned about this through an email from Crystal Thomas, who handles human resources at USAGM. Someone told CBS that all part-time workers can't be paid anymore. Other emails show Radio Free Asia and Radio Free Europe lost their money completely. VOA reaches more than 400 million people worldwide, similar to BBC World Service, which gets money from the British government.
Elon Musk has pushed for VOA to shut down on his X platform. He helped Trump cut government groups even though voters didn't elect him. Trump also stopped money for agencies that help homeless people and support museums and libraries. Trump hated VOA during his first term as president. He recently picked loyal supporter Kari Lake as special adviser for the US Agency for Global Media.
Trump keeps saying most news outlets hate him. He called CNN and MSNBC "corrupt" and "illegal" during a speech but gave no proof. VOA started back in 1942 to fight Nazi and Japanese lies. They made their first broadcast using a BBC transmitter. Former president Gerald Ford signed rules in 1976 to keep VOA free from political control. By 1994, a special board watched over all non-military broadcasts. Then in 2013, the law changed to let VOA air shows inside the United States.
