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By Isabel van Brugen
News Reporter
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Kremlin propagandists have rejoiced over U.S. President Donald Trump's move to dismantle the federally funded news organization, Voice of America (VOA), during a segment on Russian state TV.
Vladimir Solovyov, one of the most prominent figures in Kremlin-backed media, and Margarita Simonyan, the editor-in-chief of state media outlet RT, reacted to the news during an appearance on channel Russia-1.
Why It Matters
By moving to shut down VOA, created during World War II, Trump has been accused of playing into Russian President Vladimir Putin's hands. The outlet is viewed by Moscow as a tool of U.S. propaganda. Its dismantling has also been seen as a wider attack on press freedom and the media.
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What To Know
On Sunday, the White House kick-started mass layoffs at the news outlet and other government-funded media—all employees were placed on administrative leave while contractors were told via email that they would be terminated at the end of the month.
In a press release titled "The Voice of Radical America," the White House said Trump's executive order on March 14 "will ensure that taxpayers are no longer on the hook for radical propaganda."
The order also affects Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and Radio Free Asia (RFA), outlets that are overseen by the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM).
It is part of a wider effort to slash federal spending by Trump and his tech billionaire ally Elon Musk, who heads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
An excerpt from the Russian state TV broadcast was shared on X (formerly Twitter) by Julia Davis, founder of the Russia Media Monitor watchdog group.
"Meanwhile in Russia: Vladimir Solovyov shared Margarita Simonyan's joy over Trump's decision to defund RFE/RL and Voice of America. Solovyov threatened France and Britain and wished death upon independent journalists," Davis wrote.
Simonyan began by saying that her RT colleagues were celebrating "because Trump suddenly announced that he's closing down RFE/RL and Voice of America, they're now closed down."
"This is an awesome decision by Trump," said Simonyan.
Solovyov launched into a hateful attack on independent journalists.
"Several thousands of chronic slackers will now be searching for jobs. I'm addressing independent journalists: die, animals! You are lying, nasty and deplorable. You are traitors to the Motherland. Die in a ditch," Solovyov said.
What People Are Saying
Richard Stengel, editor and former U.S. under secretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs, said on X: "I'm not making any inferences, but from distancing the U.S. from NATO, promising that Ukraine won't join, ending the FBI's foreign influence task force, eliminating Radio Free Europe, Voice of America and foreign aid, Trump is fulfilling all of Putin's dreams."
Liam Scott, VOA reporter covering press freedom, said on X: "The Trump administration's dismantling of VOA, RFE/RL, RFA and other outlets under USAGM are part of its efforts to dismantle the government more broadly—but it's also part of the administration's broader assault on press freedom and the media. I've covered press freedom for a long time, and I've never seen something like what's happened in the U.S. over the past couple months."
What Happens Next
Reporters Without Borders, an international nonprofit that focuses on safeguarding press freedom, said Trump's order will send a "chilling signal" to "authoritarian regimes such as Beijing and Moscow," which "now have free rein to spread their propaganda unchecked."
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