After VOA, Trump administration shuts down Arabic network Alhurra

Alhurra, the Arabic-language television network established by the US government after the 2003 invasion of Iraq, announced on Saturday it will cease broadcasts and lay off most of its staff following a decision by the Trump administration to halt funding.

The network launched in 2004 amid US frustration with media coverage of the Iraq war, particularly from Qatar-backed Al Jazeera, which, two decades later, remains a dominant force in Arabic-language media.

“Media in the Middle East thrive on a diet of anti-Americanism,” said Jeffrey Gedmin, president and CEO of Middle East Broadcasting Networks (MBN), which oversees Alhurra and other US-funded Arabic-language outlets.

Gedmin criticized the decision, stating it made “no sense to kill MBN” as a viable alternative voice, arguing that the move effectively "opens the field to American adversaries and extremists."

The funding halt came as part of a sweeping cost-cutting initiative led by billionaire Elon Musk. In March, the Trump administration announced it would end all financial transfers to US government-supported media.

Voice of America (VOA) was among the first to be impacted, though its employees have launched legal efforts to challenge the funding cut, which had been approved by Congress.

In a memo to staff, Gedmin said he had been unable to secure a meeting with Kari Lake, a staunch Trump ally recently appointed to oversee US-funded media, to discuss what he called the “unlawfully” withdrawn funds.

“I’m left to conclude that she is deliberately starving us of the money we need to pay you, our dedicated and hard-working staff,” Gedmin wrote. “What’s happening is a disgrace. You deserve better and I bear responsibility for not resolving this crisis in time to keep you,” he added.

Although Alhurra will cease traditional broadcasts, Gedmin said the network will try to maintain a digital presence with a drastically reduced staff, “a couple dozen,” he noted.

Alhurra claims to reach over 30 million viewers weekly across 22 countries. Still, it has long faced fierce competition from Al Jazeera, Saudi-funded Al Arabiya, and more recently, UAE-backed Sky News Arabia.

Trump has had a strained relationship with the media and questioned the “firewall” that guarantees editorial independence for US-funded outlets. Unlike VOA, Alhurra was not technically part of the US government but instead operated via grants.

Other US-funded media have also been impacted but continue to push forward. Radio Free Europe, which was instrumental during the Cold War and now operates from Prague, has secured promises of support from the Czech government to offset lost US funding.

Radio Free Asia, which provides news to countries like China and North Korea, continues to publish online at a reduced pace.