Elon Musk, head of the newly formed Department of State Efficiency (DOGE), has called for shutting down Radio Liberty and Voice of America, both funded by the US government.
Musk was responding to a statement from Donald Trump’s former special envoy, Richard Grenell, who criticized taxpayer funding for media outlets employing “far-left activists.”
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Musk agreed, saying, “Yes, shut them down....Nobody listens to them anymore. It’s just radical left crazy people talking to themselves while torching $1B/year of US taxpayer money.”
Voice of America, was established in 1942 to counter Nazi propaganda, initially broadcasting in German before expanding to English, French, and Italian. By the end of World War II, it aired in 50 languages, with its first Russian-language program launching in 1947.
Radio Liberty began broadcasting from West Germany in 1950, with a Russian-language edition introduced in 1953.
In 2017, Russia designated both Voice of America and Radio Liberty as “foreign agents,” making them the first media outlets to receive this classification.
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DOGE, led by Musk, was established after Donald Trump took office to improve government “efficiency.” The department quickly gained access to government payment systems and played a role in restructuring the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which distributes US humanitarian aid globally.
In January, Trump ordered a 90-day suspension of foreign aid, during which USAID’s activities would be audited. Then, on Friday, Feb. 7, he called for the agency’s closure.
Yes, shut them down.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 9, 2025
1. Europe is free now (not counting stifling bureaucracy). Hello??
2. Nobody listens to them anymore.
3. It’s just radical left crazy people talking to themselves while torching $1B/year of US taxpayer money. https://t.co/PnmN4erD91
Musk praised the move, saying Trump’s team was putting USAID “through the wood-chipper.” The decision sent shock waves through Ukraine, which has received nearly $38 billion in aid from USAID since Russia’s 2022 invasion.
Read more about how the closure of USAID if affecting Ukraine:
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