US Court Blocks Trump From Shutting Down Media House, Affecting Kenyan Journalists

A federal judge ruled that United States (US) President Donald Trump unlawfully shut down operations at Voice of America (VOA), the U.S. government-funded international news outlet established by Congress.

On Tuesday, April 22, U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth ordered the Trump administration to bring the 83-year-old broadcaster back to its pre-cutback state, reversing funding cuts and rehiring the staff that had been let go, a move that had also targeted Kenyan journalists working for the media house.

In a court filing from March, VOA’s lawyers said all 1,300 staff members had been put on administrative leave, but emphasized that the outlet aims to deliver news “truthfully, impartially, and objectively.”

This was a direct rebuttal to the Trump administration’s accusations that VOA has a “leftist bias” and isn't “pro-American” enough.

Judge Lamberth also instructed the administration to reinstate operations for two other federally funded news outlets under the Agency for Global Media—Radio Free Asia and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks—while their legal battles continue.

The judge rejected a similar request to restore two other federally funded outlets—Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and the Open Technology Fund.

Trump and his allies have used government funding as a weapon to shut down agencies and programs they oppose, pushing for media outlets and universities to fall in line ideologically, all under the guise of fighting so-called “left-wing” influence. Kari Lake, a staunch Trump supporter, was appointed to lead the Agency for Global Media.

VOA was shut down in March as part of sweeping budget cuts that Judge Lamberth called “hasty and indiscriminate.”

A union representing Agency for Global Media employees praised the ruling, calling it a “powerful affirmation” of the importance of independent journalism in defending democracy and fighting disinformation.

VOA was originally created during World War II to counter Nazi propaganda and later became a tool for promoting U.S. perspectives during the Cold War—something critics say shows it was always more about advancing American interests than truly independent reporting.