President Donald Trump has once again faced a legal setback after a U.S. court suspended one of his executive orders. According to international media, a federal judge ruled Trump’s directive to shut down Voice of America (VOA) unconstitutional and blocked its implementation.
The court noted that due to government funding cuts, VOA was unable to fulfill its journalistic mission for the first time in its 80-year history. Judge Royce Lamberth stated that the shutdown ignored the impact on employees, journalists, and global media audiences.
The court ordered the reinstatement of all employees and contractors of VOA, Radio Free Asia, and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks to their original positions. The judge also ruled that the administration violated the International Broadcasting Act and the Congressional authority over funding allocations.
VOA’s White House Bureau Chief and lead plaintiff, Patsy Widakuswara, welcomed the ruling, expressing concern that the government might appeal. She reaffirmed their commitment to resisting the unlawful silencing of VOA until the organization can return to its core mission.
The court also instructed the Trump administration to immediately restore jobs and funding for all affected staff. Over 1,300 employees—including nearly 1,000 journalists—were previously forced on leave following Trump’s directive.
The Trump administration had accused these media organizations of being “anti-Trump” and “extremist.”
Established during World War II to counter Nazi propaganda, VOA has grown into a globally recognized media outlet. Trump had long criticized VOA and other media groups for alleged bias and had appointed political ally Michael Pack—who supported his election fraud claims—to lead the agency at the start of his second term.
