A longtime federal judge in Washington, D.C., has temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s plan to eliminate the jobs of more than 500 people at the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), a government-funded news network that oversees Voice of America (VOA).
Newsweek reached out to the White House via email Monday night for comment.
Why It Matters
A federal judge’s decision to halt the Trump administration and Kari Lake’s plan to cut over 500 jobs marks a pivotal moment in the ongoing struggle over the independence and future of U.S.-funded media.
The ruling underscores the legal protections established to prevent political interference in American global broadcasting and highlights significant implications for U.S. public diplomacy and freedom of the press abroad.
What To Know
U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth, a nominee of former President Ronald Reagan, issued a temporary suspension of a planned reduction in force (RIF) that would have eliminated 532 full-time government positions at the agency.
Lake was appointed by Trump to serve as an adviser to USAGM during his second term in office and after her failed U.S. Senate run in Arizona.
Lake, acting CEO of the agency, had previously announced that these job cuts would take effect in late August 2025, but Lamberth’s Monday ruling preserved the agency’s staffing levels until the court could decide on a motion to block the reductions permanently.
The Trump administration’s push to reduce the workforce follows a March 2025 executive order directing that the agency cut its operations to the “minimum presence and function required by law,” resulting in the cessation of VOA broadcasts for the first time in its 83-year history.
The agency, which also manages Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia, and other networks, has faced court challenges from employees and their advocates who argue that the cuts undermine both legal obligations and the agency’s mission.
What People Are Saying
Lamberth in his ruling, calling out the defendants including Lake: “The Court must offer an observation on the concerning disrespect the defendants have shown toward the Court’s orders since the entry of the preliminary injunction. It is the Court’s view that the defendants’ disregard for its earlier orders to produce information would more than support a trial on civil contempt.”
He later called the defendants’ behavior “egregious.”
What Happens Next
The future of VOA and other USAGM networks remains uncertain as legal proceedings advance. The court will consider the plaintiffs’ motion for a permanent block on the proposed job cuts in the coming weeks.
