Trump Admin Paying $1.6M A Week To VOA Staff On Leave

The U.S. Agency for Global Media placed 994 of its 1,147 federal employees on leave, cut 594 of its 602 contract workers, and halted broadcasts in March 2025, according to the agency’s count. A federal judge later ruled that the mass layoff plan was illegal and struck it down.

President Donald Trump ordered the cuts in an executive order that month, directing that USAGM—which oversees Voice of America—be reduced to the “minimum presence and function required by law.” 

Kari Lake

According to The Washington Post, the effort was led by Kari Lake, a former Arizona television broadcaster and unsuccessful Republican candidate for governor and U.S. senator. Lake called the agency a “giant rot and burden to the American taxpayer” and canceled a building lease. The judge found she had been illegally acting as the agency’s CEO.

The Trump administration has since nominated Sarah B. Rogers, a State Department official, to lead USAGM while she remains undersecretary of state for public diplomacy. She is awaiting Senate confirmation. At her July hearing, Rogers said she expects to hire and bring back some staff.

Agency employees cited in the report said reorganization decisions were made by personnel from the U.S. DOGE Service—the cost-cutting initiative spearheaded by Elon Musk—and by USAGM’s political leadership, without input from senior career officials.