Voice of America staff put on leave, Trump ally says agency ‘not salvageable’
More than 1,300 Voice of America employees were placed on leave on Saturday and funding for two U.S. news services that broadcast to authoritarian regimes was terminated, one day after President Donald Trump ordered the gutting of the government-funded media outlet’s parent and six other federal agencies, Reuters reported.
Michael Abramowitz, Voice of America’s director, said nearly his entire staff of 1,300 journalists, producers and assistants had been put on administrative leave, crippling a media broadcaster that operates in almost 50 languages.
Some Republicans have accused VOA and other publicly-funded media outlets of being biased against conservatives. Last month, Musk called for VOA and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty to be shut down in a post to his X social media platform.
