Judge voids Voice of America layoffs, citing invalid Trump appointment of Kari Lake

A federal judge on Saturday voided mass layoffs at Voice of America after ruling Kari Lake's appointment invalid, a major rejection of President Donald Trump's attempts to dismantle the government-funded news group.

U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth, in a 17-page opinion, concluded that Lake was ineligible to serve as the acting CEO of U.S. Agency for Global Media, VOA's parent agency, after being elevated to the position on July 31, 2025, in an "acting capacity" and without Senate confirmation.

Lake later relinquished the position on Nov. 19, 2025. The judge determined that any actions Lake took in that four-month time frame must be treated as "void," including an Aug. 29, 2025, reduction in USAGM's workforce.

Lamberth said Trump's decision to have Lake lead the agency without Senate confirmation or the appropriate procedures required "an unlawful effort to transform Lake into the CEO of U.S. Agency for Global Media in all but name."