Watan-A federal judge in Washington on Tuesday ordered former President Donald Trump’s administration to reverse its attempt to shut down government-run media targeting international audiences, most notably Voice of America (VOA) — marking the second judicial setback for the Republican president in this case.
The first setback came in late March when another federal judge, Paul Oetken in New York, suspended the administration’s decision to halt the activities of these public media institutions.
On Tuesday, Judge Royce Lamberth in the nation’s capital issued an emergency ruling requiring the U.S. government to withdraw its efforts to close these institutions.
Judge Orders Reinstatement of Voice of America and Media Staff After Trump-Era Cuts
In his decision, Judge Lamberth ordered the government to reinstate employees of the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) — the body overseeing these media outlets — and to resume the congressional funding that had been suspended since March.
The judge also ordered the resumption of programming at Voice of America, a public media institution that produces television, radio, and written content aimed at non-American audiences.
Voice of America was founded in 1942 as a tool for counter-propaganda, specifically targeting populations living under authoritarian regimes, particularly in Eastern Europe during the Cold War.
In his ruling, Judge Lamberth found that the government had not provided evidence that these media outlets were failing to fulfill the congressional mandate.
He also stated that the Trump administration had no authority over federal funds allocated by Congress, and that the U.S. Agency for Global Media merely serves as a channel to distribute those funds to the relevant media organizations.
The USAGM, which Trump placed under the control of hard-right figure Kari Lake, announced in March that the agency had been dismantled, calling it a “corrupt giant and a burden on American taxpayers.”
Court Rejects Trump-Era Claims Against U.S. Global Media as Baseless and Arbitrary
According to Trump’s administration, the agency was accused of “waste, fraud, and gross mismanagement,” and was also labeled a “national security risk.”
However, Judge Lamberth concluded in his decision that, in the absence of any evidence supporting those claims, “it is difficult to imagine a clearer example of an arbitrary and capricious decision” than the Trump administration’s move.
The institutions affected by the ruling include Voice of America, Radio Free Asia, and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks (MBN) — a news platform focused on the Middle East.
Judge Lamberth’s decision did not cover Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, as a separate ruling in March had already frozen the Trump administration’s decision to shut them down.
Commenting on the Washington judge’s decision, Clayton Weimers, director of the U.S. branch of Reporters Without Borders, said:“The U.S. Agency for Global Media must implement this decision immediately.”
He added in a statement:“We know this fight is not over yet.”
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