President Trump has fired hundreds of employees at Voice of America (VOA) as his government aims to trim down the size of the federal broadcaster and retool its editorial strategy.
The nearly 600 employees who were first from VOA this week include mostly contractors, The New York Times reported, noting that figure represents about a third of the broadcaster’s staff.
A copy of a notification to effected employees, which was reviewed by The Hill, informed the staffers they will be terminated as of May 30 and instructs them to return badges, credentials and other VOA property by that time.
The news comes just days after Kari Lake, who serves as the senior adviser at the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), said VOA would partner with conservative media outlet One America News to provide news feed services to USAGM networks.
Lake, a longtime supporter of Trump, has vowed to ensure the agency “chronicles America’s achievements worldwide.”
Hellbound and Down 