Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday to eliminate seven federal agencies, targeting organizations related to media, libraries, museums, and homelessness. The order mandates that these entities “be eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law,” reducing their functions and personnel. Agency heads must confirm compliance with the Office of Management and Budget within seven days.
The order impacts the U.S. Agency for Global Media—parent company of Voice of America (VOA), the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars at the Smithsonian, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services, which supports institutions nationwide. Also affected are the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, and the Minority Business Development Agency.
Despite concerns over VOA’s future, Trump selected former Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake to lead it. At the Conservative Political Action Conference, she assured that VOA won’t be “Trump TV.” However, the president doesn’t directly appoint VOA’s head—Trump’s nominee, conservative activist L. Brent Bozell III, must first be confirmed by the Senate before choosing Lake.
The U.S. Agency for Global Media also oversees Radio Free Asia, which counters Chinese propaganda. Meanwhile, Elon Musk has been tapped to streamline government spending, but federal judges in Maryland and Northern California blocked mass layoffs. The White House pledged to appeal these rulings, which require reinstating probationary government employees.
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