Trump signs EO to slash 7 agencies, staff at government-funded media put on leave

The order, titled “Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy,” seeks to cut non-statutory functions and limit statutory functions of certain government entities to only what is required by law. The order impacts several agencies, including the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM), Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Institute of Museum and Library Services, United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, Minority Business Development Agency, and Arctic Research Commission. The action builds on a previous executive order Trump signed that reduced government entities and advisory committees.

"With this Executive Order, President Trump is further decreasing the size of the Federal Government to enhance accountability, reduce waste, and promote innovation,” the White House stated in a fact sheet.

One of the agencies affected by the order, USAGM, oversees the Voice of America (VOA). According to Reuters, VOA employees were informed on Saturday that they were being placed on administrative leave with full pay and benefits “until otherwise notified.”

Additionally, the USAGM funds Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty as well as Radio Free Asia.

President Trump had previously appointed former news anchor Kari Lake as the director of VOA. In a post on X on Saturday, Lake confirmed that the order impacts USAGM and its outlets, VOA and the Office of Cuba Broadcasting (OCB), advising employees to check their emails for further information.

The move is part of the administration’s broader efforts to shrink the federal government. Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has continued initiatives to cut spending and reduce inefficient government programs. Musk has previously suggested on social media that VOA should be shut down, and some Republicans have accused it of promoting biases against conservatives.