March 18, 2025
President Trump’s executive order to dismantle the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) is a long-overdue and necessary step toward restoring accountability in government-funded media. Over the years, USAGM—particularly its flagship outlet, Voice of America (VOA)—has strayed far from its original mission, devolving into a bloated, unaccountable bureaucracy that frequently prioritizes partisan narratives over objective journalism. This decision is not only fiscally responsible but also essential to upholding journalistic integrity and ensuring taxpayer dollars are not misused to fund political propaganda.
One of the most troubling examples of USAGM’s failures is the VOA Persian Service, which has repeatedly undermined U.S. foreign policy objectives by amplifying narratives favorable to the Islamic Republic of Iran. Rather than serving as a neutral and fact-based source of news, it has consistently provided a platform for individuals with overt political biases, including figures such as Maziar Bahari and Masih Alinejad, who have used their positions to promote a distorted view of Iran’s political landscape. Instead of exposing the oppressive nature of the regime, VOA Persian has often served as an echo chamber for so-called “reformist” factions within the Islamic Republic, misleading audiences into believing in the existence of a moderate wing within a fundamentally authoritarian system.
One particularly egregious example occurred in 2015, when Masih Alinejad leveraged VOA’s platform to advance partisan attacks against then-candidate Donald Trump (1).
This blatant misuse of taxpayer-funded resources not only violated journalistic ethics but also raised serious legal and ethical concerns about USAGM’s role in shaping public discourse. Such actions are emblematic of the broader issues plaguing the agency—political bias, lack of oversight, and a failure to fulfill its core mandate of providing objective news to international audiences.
President Trump’s decisive action to eliminate this institution marks a significant victory for transparency, fiscal responsibility, and the integrity of public broadcasting. American taxpayers should not be forced to fund media entities that operate with little accountability and clear political agendas. By dismantling USAGM, the administration is taking a critical step toward ensuring that government-funded journalism adheres to the highest standards of professionalism and nonpartisanship.
Iranian Americans for Liberty extends its deepest gratitude to Congressman Scott Perry, who, alongside our allies, initiated the campaign to shut down Voice of America (2).
As highlighted in the White House statement (3), based on reporting from the Washington Free Beacon (4), IAL has played a small but meaningful role in this crucial campaign since 2021 under the leadership of Congressman Perry (5). We take immense pride in the fact that this effort has ultimately led to the closure of the Democratic Party’s propaganda arm, Voice of America, and we remain committed to advocating for policies that ensure American taxpayer funds are not misused to promote partisan narratives under the guise of journalism.
1. https://ir.voanews.com/a/3097627.html
2. https://freebeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Rep.-Perry-3.25.22-Letter-to-USAGM-FINAL.pdf
3. Https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2025/03/the-voice-of-radical-america/
5. https://iranianamericansforliberty.org/blogs/statements/ial-applauds
