A massive government bureaucracy has been spending your money for decades. Hundreds of millions of dollars flowing from American taxpayers annually into federal agencies with bloated budgets and questionable priorities.
Washington insiders have long protected these institutions from scrutiny. The federal government’s sprawling apparatus has grown virtually unchecked, with few willing to challenge its expansion.
For conservatives demanding accountability, one particular government-funded entity has raised serious concerns about its use of taxpayer dollars.
President Donald Trump has ordered the dismantling of Voice of America (VOA), the U.S. government-funded media outlet that conservatives have criticized for years for promoting left-wing content on the American taxpayer’s dime.
“Voice of America has been out of step with America for years. It serves as the Voice for Radical America and has pushed divisive propaganda for years now,” said one senior White House official.
Trump’s Executive Order
The executive order signed on Friday targets seven government offices. These include the United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which serves as VOA’s parent company. Think about it – how many of these alphabet soup agencies do we even need?
The order directs these entities to “reduce the performance of their statutory functions and associated personnel to the minimum presence and function required by law.”
In other words, the gravy train is finally coming to a halt.
Kari Lake, whom Trump appointed to lead VOA, delivered a stark assessment of the organization in a joint statement with USAGM. She declared that the agency is “not salvageable.” She then described it as “a giant rot and burden to the American taxpayer—a national security risk for this nation—and irretrievably broken.”
The measures have already taken effect. Indeed, VOA director Mike Abramowitz has confirmed that virtually the entire staff of 1,300 people has been placed on paid leave.
Can you imagine – 1,300 people on the government payroll pushing this stuff?
The Left-Wing Bias Problem
Let’s be honest, the evidence of VOA’s leftist slant has been obvious for years, particularly in its Middle East coverage. According to Fox News, the outlet instructed employees to “avoid calling Hamas and its members terrorists, except in quotes” just days after the October 7, 2023 terrorist attacks on Israel.
In another troubling instance, VOA was criticized for “sanitizing” Hamas when it failed to mention that Gaza residents cheered the terrorist group as it displayed coffins containing the remains of Israeli hostages, including children. This isn’t journalism – it’s propaganda, plain and simple.
The government-funded media organization has also published articles exploring concepts like “white privilege” and released content that critics compared to Biden campaign videos during the 2020 election. Why were your tax dollars funding this leftist agenda?
A former VOA employee wrote in an op-ed last year that the organization had “essentially become a hubris-filled rogue operation often reflecting a leftist bias aligned with partisan national media.”
When even insiders are blowing the whistle, you know there’s a serious problem.
Media Establishment Pushback
Predictably, media organizations have criticized the move. The National Press Club claimed the order “undermines America’s long-standing commitment to a free and independent press.”
Give me a break – since when does “free press” mean government-funded?
Conservatives have countered by arguing that taxpayers should not fund media that works against American interests. The agency reaches hundreds of millions of people globally each week – making its bias all the more concerning. That’s a lot of anti-American messaging on our dime!
Elon Musk, who serves as a top adviser to Trump and has overseen government spending cuts, has publicly supported shutting down VOA through posts on his social media platform X, which was formerly known as Twitter. At least someone in Washington understands fiscal responsibility.
The dismantling aligns with Trump’s broader agenda to reduce federal bureaucracy and eliminate wasteful spending. These are core conservative principles that resonated with voters in the 2024 election.
What This Means for America
The VOA shutdown represents a significant win for fiscal conservatives who have long questioned why American taxpayers should fund media that often undermines traditional American values and interests abroad.
With VOA’s annual budget in the hundreds of millions of dollars and a staff of 1,300 now on paid leave pending further action, the potential savings are substantial. More importantly, the move signals Trump’s seriousness about fulfilling his campaign promises to drain the Washington swamp.
For too long, government agencies like VOA have operated with little accountability. As this administration continues to identify and eliminate wasteful spending, Americans can expect more decisive action against federal institutions that have strayed from their intended purposes.
This is likely just the beginning of a broader effort to ensure taxpayer dollars are no longer used to fund what the White House accurately described as “radical propaganda” that works against America’s interests at home and abroad.
Key Takeaways:
- President Trump dismantled Voice of America after years of taxpayer funding for what critics call “radical propaganda.”
- VOA instructed staff to avoid calling Hamas “terrorists” and published content promoting concepts like “white privilege.”
- The shutdown affects 1,300 employees and signals Trump’s commitment to eliminating wasteful government spending.
- This move represents the first step in a broader agenda to ensure federal agencies serve American interests.
