President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday aimed at dismantling seven federal agencies, including the one overseeing Voice of America and other U.S. government-funded international media outlets.
The order, framed as part of the administration’s ongoing push to shrink the federal bureaucracy, targets agencies Trump’s advisers have labeled as redundant or ideologically misaligned with the White House’s priorities. Among them is the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which supervises Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and other broadcasters that provide news to international audiences.
“We’re cutting the waste and restoring accountability,” Trump said during the signing, emphasizing his administration’s stance against what he calls “government overreach” and “biased reporting” from publicly funded outlets.
The move sparked immediate backlash from press freedom advocates and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, who argue that Voice of America and similar outlets play a vital role in promoting accurate information and countering authoritarian propaganda worldwide.
Meanwhile, in a separate legal development, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) secured a courtroom victory against the administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act to expedite deportations. A federal judge ruled that the law — originally enacted in 1798 — cannot be broadly applied to justify removals without due process.
“This is a critical win for civil liberties and a rebuke of the administration’s attempts to revive an outdated, dangerous law for modern mass deportations,” said an ACLU spokesperson following the ruling.
The White House has yet to comment on the ruling, but administration officials have signaled that they intend to appeal.
