Nearly 600 Voice of America employees fired

The employees who were notified this week include mostly contractors and are about a third of the agency's staff.

Published: May 16, 2025 12:14pm

The Trump administration has fired nearly 600 Voice of America employees as the president is working to overhaul the agency.

The employees who were notified this week are mostly contractors, The New York Times reported. The 600 equals about one-third of the agency's staff.

Those fired were told their last day of work will be May 30, which also will be the deadline to return badges, credentials, and other VOA property, The Hill reported.

The firings follow U.S. Agency for Global Media senior adviser Kari Lake's announcement last week that One America News Network will provide news-feed services to the agency's network of outlets.

"I don't have editorial control over the content of VOA and OCB programming, but I can ensure our outlets have reliable and credible options as they work to craft their reporting and news programs," Lake said in her announcement.

Last month, a federal judge ruled that the Trump administration could not dismantle VOA and affiliated news services.