Kari Lake, Who Led Effort to Shutter Voice of America, Is Named Ambassador to Jamaica
The New York Times • • nation
Key Points:
- President Trump has appointed Kari Lake, a strong ally who led efforts to dismantle Voice of America (VOA) and other federally funded news organizations, as the next U.S. ambassador to Jamaica, pending Senate confirmation.
- Lake’s tenure at the U.S. Agency for Global Media was marked by attempts to fire hundreds of VOA journalists and cut funding for news groups broadcasting to countries with limited press freedom, but these efforts were largely unsuccessful due to court rulings and Congressional opposition.
- In March, a federal judge ruled that Lake’s appointment as interim leader of the agency was illegal, nullifying most of the Trump administration’s actions to reduce VOA’s operations, and the administration did not appeal this decision.
- Despite Trump’s attempts to defund VOA and similar organizations, Congress maintained significant funding in its budget, including about $200 million for VOA, thereby preserving much of the agency’s capacity to broadcast internationally.