President-elect Donald Trump has picked Kari Lake to run the Voice of America. Lake had been a popular news anchor for KSAZ-TV Phoenix prior to losing elections for governor of Arizona in 2022 and a U.S. Senate seat in 2024.
A staunch Trump ally, she stirred controversy as an election denier who spread erroneous information about the results of the 2020 and 2022 elections.
“I am pleased to announce that Kari Lake will serve as our next Director of the Voice of America. She will be appointed by, and work closely with, our next head of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, who I will announce soon, to ensure that the American values of Freedom and Liberty are broadcast around the World FAIRLY and ACCURATELY, unlike the lies spread by the Fake News Media. Kari was a beloved News Anchor in Arizona, which supported me by record margins, for over 20 years,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform.
Voice of America (VOA) is the largest U.S. international broadcaster, providing news and information in nearly 50 languages to an estimated weekly audience of more than 354 million people, according to its website.
VOA produces content for digital, mobile, television, and radio platforms. It is also distributed by satellite, cable, FM and MW, and is carried on a network of more than 3,500 affiliate stations.
VoA is part of the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the government agency that oversees all nonmilitary U.S. international broadcasting. It is funded by the U.S. Congress. The head of USAGM must be approved by the U.S. Senate. The director of the VOA is appointed by a vote of the seven-member advisory board.
