Court Stops Trump’s Voice of America (VOA) Layoffs

Trump’s administration just faced a big legal loss this week in Washington, D.C. A federal judge ordered the government to stop its plan to fire around 500 workers at the Voice of America (VOA)

VOA is the taxpayer financed news organization that has been broadcasting around the world since World War II.

This order came after U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth who is a Reagan appointee, ruled that the Trump administration and USAGM had failed to comply with his previous order.

In April, the judge had already told the agency it must observe its legal obligation to keep VOA operating as a reliable source of international news for the world and yet, the administration went about mass firings and closed down VOA broadcasts in March because of Trump's executive order.

The numbers were shocking, 532 full time staff, the bulk of the workforce of the agency Technically, this would have severely weakened the VOA and destroyed its ability to reach about 360 million people worldwide who tune in each and every week. The employees and their union have filed lawsuits saying the order stands in the way of Congress's intent and ignores the core mission of the VOA.

Judge Lamberth’s latest ruling was pretty direct, the man said he is now sure the administration has no plan to follow his orders and has also accused the defendants which includes Trump ally Kari Lake, who was made acting CEO of VOA, of wasting time until the fiscal year ended. They're wasting time while still breaking the law.

The White House immediately started complaining. They called the ruling unfair and said they would appeal. The spokesperson said Trump was elected to stop waste and misuse in agencies like VOA, but for the hundreds of workers losing their jobs, the judge’s order is an absolute lifesaver. If you were a worker there about to get fired you'd thank the judge.

The workers' union declared it as a major victory for this union as well as the staff and the millions of people abroad who constantly rely on VOA for their credible or reliable news.

The dispute going on is mostly about jobs but underneath that dispute is an even bigger issue. The issue is whether Trump’s executive orders can be used to silence or weaken independent organizations. A little history about the VOA, it was started in 1942 to fight Nazi propaganda and for many years it was a way for the U.S. to share news and democratic values in countries where press freedom is a bit limited. Cutting large parts of its staff and shutting down broadcasts would definitely go against the original purpose of the organization.

There is an irony that should be noted though, the judge who stopped Trump’s actions was chosen by Ronald Reagan, another conservative president. This shows it wasn’t just a decision based on politics and it also shows that at least courts are still willing to limit the president’s power, even when he claims he can do almost anything.

The good news is that the VOA workers can now relax. Still though, the administration refuses to back down and will be meeting with an appeal. This will probably drag on for months.

Screenshot of VOA from YouTube