USAGM, Senior Advisor Kari Lake Implements Agency Reductions to Lessen Taxpayer Burdens

Mar 17

By The Blog Source

Under the March 14, 2025, Executive Order of President Trump titled "Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy," the US Agency for Global Media began taking steps to reduce non-statutory elements and functions as much as possible while adhering to existing laws. The statutory functions of USAGM and the outlets under its supervision will be decreased, and the accompanying staff will be reduced to the bare minimum of presence and function mandated by law.

The agency's employees at Voice of America, Office of Cuba Broadcasting, USAGM, and all grantees will be impacted by this decision. Starting on Saturday, March 15, 2025, the majority of USAGM employees impacted by this move will be taken on paid administrative leave, and they will stay on leave until further notice.

"I promise to fully carry out President Trump's executive orders while I'm at USAGM to further his goal of shrinking the federal government's size and reach. As stated by USAGM Senior Adviser Kari Lake, "Today, we continue the process of doing that by streamlining our operations to what is statutorily required by law." The US Agency for Global Media will continue all statutory programs under its jurisdiction and end non-statutory activities. I wholeheartedly endorse the executive order issued by the president. This bureaucracy is rife with waste, fraud, and abuse, and American taxpayers shouldn't be forced to pay for it.

Among the more outrageous conclusions were:

Significant breaches of national security, such as the agency being infiltrated by spies and terrorist sympathizers and/or supporters
Startling self-dealing with grants, contracts, and expensive settlements
Examples of obscene overspending include a nearly quarter-billion-dollar lease for a high-rise on Pennsylvania Avenue that lacks the broadcasting facilities the agency needs, and a $9 million commission to a private real estate agent with connections.
Additionally, hundreds of millions of dollars are spent on fake news companies, whose products frequently repeat the talking points of America's enemies.

There is no way to save this agency.

This institution, in its entirety, represents a significant waste, a financial strain on American taxpayers, a risk to national security, and irreversible harm. While there are some positive aspects of the agency, such as the presence of committed and competent public servants, the overall performance is more atypical.

Regrettably, reform was rendered impossible by the effort made by self-serving insiders in collaboration with extreme leftist advocacy groups and outside activist groups to "Trump-proof the agency. Not only were they "Trump-Proofing" the agency from political leadership, but they were also ensuring that the American people held it accountable. They spent public funds fabricating stories while doing all this. Biased media colleagues with obvious conflicts of interest at the Washington Post, NPR, and other outlets exacerbated these to aggressively hide their egregious waste, fraud, and abuse.

This is an important step in advancing freedom and democracy and bringing back the greatness of the United States. I will ensure that accountability becomes the norm rather than the exception in the future. I value the hard work and contributions made by the committed public workers to the agency and its publications. I'm excited to continue modernizing the fundamental goal of effectively, significantly, and meaningfully sharing America's narrative with the world," Lake continued.

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