Voice of America restored by judge after Trump dismantled taxpayer-funded outlet in March

A federal judge ordered the restoration of Voice of America (VoA) on Tuesday, the federally-funded state media network that the White House dismantled earlier this spring.

Judge Royce Lamberth ruled in favor of the plaintiff’s request for a preliminary injunction, though the Trump administration is allowed to appeal the decision.

The plaintiffs asked the court to “cancel the orders putting approximately 1,300 VOA employees on administrative leave” and to “cancel the termination of contracts with approximately 500 personal service contractors (PSCs) with VOA, cease dismantling VOA, and restore VOA’s personnel and operating capacities.”

President Donald Trump dismantled the news agency through an executive order (EO) in March, claiming that VoA promoted biased reporting.

TRUMP ORDERS THE DISMANTLING OF GOVERNMENT-FUNDED, ‘PROPAGANDA’-PEDDLING MEDIA OUTLET

A federal judge ordered the restoration of Voice of America (VoA) on Tuesday after Trump dismantled the agency. (Getty Images)

“The non-statutory components and functions of the following governmental entities shall be eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law, and such entities shall reduce the performance of their statutory functions and associated personnel to the minimum presence and function required by law,” the EO stated. 

The EO also dismantled VoA’s parent company, the United States Agency for Global Media, as well as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 

“Voice of America has been out of step with America for years. It serves as the Voice for Radical America and has pushed divisive propaganda for years now,” a senior White House official told Fox News Digital at the time.

The Voice Of America (VOA) logo appears on a mobile phone with Voice Of America visible in the background in this photo illustration in Brussels, Belgium, on March 16, 2025.  (Jonathan Raa/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

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On Mar. 22, VoA employees filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration and Kari Lake, who serves as the special advisor to the United States Agency for Global Media.

“In many parts of the world, a crucial source of objective news is gone, and only censored state-sponsored news media is left to fill the void,” the lawsuit reads.

Kari Lake, U.S. President Donald Trump’s choice to lead Voice of America (VOA), speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at the Gaylord National Resort Hotel And Convention Center on February 21, 2025 in Oxon Hill, Maryland. (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)

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“The second Trump administration has taken a chainsaw to the agency as a whole in an attempt to shutter it completely,” the suit stated.

Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton and Hanna Panreck contributed to this report.