Trump appoints Kari Lake as Voice of America Director

Donald Trump has appointed Kari Lake, a former Arizona gubernatorial candidate and staunch immigration hardliner, as the new director of Voice of America (VOA), the US government-funded broadcaster responsible for providing independent news globally.

Lake, who spent nearly 30 years as a television news anchor in Phoenix, left the profession in 2021 after making controversial statements on social media, including spreading Covid-19 misinformation.

Shortly after, she entered politics, gaining a following with her combative stance against journalists and echoing Trump’s critiques of the media, particularly calling it "fake news."

Lake ran for governor of Arizona in 2022 and has never conceded her loss, continuing to claim election fraud despite no evidence.

She also lost her Senate race in 2024 by an even larger margin. Her loyalty to Trump, especially regarding the false claims of election fraud, helped her gain favor with the former president, who had even considered her as his vice-presidential running mate before settling on JD Vance.

Her appointment to head VOA marks a shift for the organization, which has faced criticism from Trump during his presidency. In 2020, Trump condemned VOA’s coverage of U.S. issues, including its reporting on the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic, accusing it of using taxpayer money to “speak for authoritarian regimes.”

VOA was founded during World War II, is mandated by its congressional charter to present independent news to international audiences, a principle it defended in response to Trump’s critiques.

Following Biden’s inauguration in 2021, the administration removed several senior VOA officials aligned with Trump, marking a significant shift in the agency's leadership.

Trump also announced several other diplomatic appointments: Leandro Rizzuto as U.S. ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS), Florida attorney Dan Newlin as ambassador to Colombia, and Peter Lamelas, a physician and major Republican donor, as ambassador to Argentina.