‘Die, B*stards’: Russian Propagandists Celebrate Trump’s Closure of Radio Liberty, VOA

Russian propagandists Margarita Simonyan and Vladimir Solovyov enthusiastically praised the US decision to halt funding for Radio Liberty and Voice of America during a broadcast on Russian television.

On Friday, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order dismantling the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees VOA, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and Radio Free Asia.

Trump’s executive order placed journalists of the US-funded media outlets on indefinite leave, citing them as “unnecessary.”

Staff were ordered to surrender press credentials and equipment, effectively freezing operations. Kari Lake, appointed to lead the USAGM, justified the move by stating that federal grants no longer aligned with agency priorities.

Simonyan called the move by Trump “cool”:

“Today is a holiday for my colleagues at RT and Sputnik [Russian state propaganda media] because Trump suddenly announced the closure of Radio Liberty and Voice of America. This is a cool decision on his part.”

Solovyov added mockingly: “And how many people will now be fighting for the right to work as cleaners and moppers? Because they can’t do anything else.”

He then went further:

“By the way, I appeal to independent journalists: ‘Die, b*stards, because you are lying, vile, disgusting traitors to the Motherland. Die under the fence.’”

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Ukrainian journalist and blogger Denis Kazansky shared the clip on X, writing, “Russian propagandists are celebrating the destruction Trump has inflicted on the American media. A gleeful Solovyov even wished these journalists dead.”

Kazansky also criticized the growing influence of Russian state media.

“USAID no longer supports journalists, Radio Liberty is closed, but all of Putin’s mouthpieces are still operating - spreading hatred, death, and dehumanization, with their funding only increasing,” he wrote.

The White House defended the decision, labeling VOA the “voice of radical America” and accusing it of bias. It also banned the Associated Press from White House events for failing to call the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America.”

RFE/RL President Stephen Capus condemned the closure decision as a “massive gift to America’s enemies,” warning that it strengthens autocratic regimes in Russia, China, and Iran.

More than 1,300 journalists, producers, and staff at Voice of America were placed on administrative leave after Trump signed the executive order, the Kyiv Post reported.

VOA Director Michael Abramowitz called the move unprecedented:

“For the first time in 83 years, the storied Voice of America is being silenced. That mission is especially critical today, as America’s adversaries, like Iran, China, and Russia, sink billions into false narratives to discredit the US.”

Abramowitz added that the move would severely damage VOA’s ability to provide reliable news and support global press freedom, even if the agency continues to exist in some form.

Ruslan Petrichka, head of VOA’s Ukrainian service, confirmed broadcasts have stopped and all staff are on leave.

“At this moment, we do not know what the future holds, but I want to thank my colleagues for their tireless work in delivering truthful news,” he said.