• Voice of America’s leadership met with Chinese Communist Party officials to influence U.S. taxpayer-funded news coverage, according to Kari Lake, senior adviser at the U.S. Agency for Global Media. The Trump administration is now dismantling the agency, citing foreign influence, security concerns, and a betrayal of VOA’s Cold War mission to promote American ideals abroad.

WASHINGTON, DC (TDR) — Senior White House adviser Kari Lake has confirmed that executives at Voice of America (VOA), the U.S.-funded international broadcasting service, held repeated meetings with Chinese Communist Party officials seeking to sway coverage in Beijing’s favor. The revelations, she says, are driving the Trump administration’s effort to dismantle the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), citing foreign infiltration and a betrayal of VOA’s founding purpose.

Lake, appointed by President Trump to lead the restructuring of U.S. public diplomacy outlets, made the disclosures in an interview with Just the News on Tuesday evening. The findings stem from an internal investigation into VOA’s editorial direction and personnel decisions.

“We found out in our investigations over the months that I’ve been here, that the CCP, operating out of the embassy in Washington, D.C., were meeting regularly with VOA management to tell them how they should be covering China,” Lake said.

Influence Campaigns and Editorial Corruption

Voice of America was established during World War II to counter foreign propaganda and later served as a Cold War bulwark against Soviet disinformation. According to Lake, that mission has been undermined by VOA leadership welcoming foreign actors into the newsroom—both figuratively and literally.

Lake said one Mandarin-language VOA official even pledged allegiance to the Chinese Communist Party during a meeting with CCP officials.

“You can’t make this stuff up. It’s so crazy. But then over the years, it got more brazen,” she added. “Some of them actually went over to China and met with CCP officials there.”

Foreign Nationals in American Newsrooms

Further compounding security concerns, Lake confirmed that the agency—under prior leadership—sponsored more than 400 foreign journalists on J-1 cultural exchange visas, including individuals from nations deemed adversarial to American interests. At least three Chinese nationals employed at VOA reportedly had ties to CCP-controlled state media outlets.

“This agency started hiring non-Americans, people from foreign countries, many people, hundreds upon hundreds from countries that are hostile to America,” Lake said. “Hired them, brought them into our country to tell America’s story.”

J-1 visas are designed for short-term cultural exchange, not permanent journalism roles. The Trump administration has now moved to end that practice entirely.

A Cold War Mission, Betrayed

Lake drew a sharp contrast between the VOA of today and its storied past.

“VOA was created to fight Axis propaganda during World War II. It was used in the Cold War to spread American ideals behind the Iron Curtain. Now, it’s being used to spread pro-China, pro-Russia, and anti-American messaging—on the taxpayers’ dime,” she said.

These revelations follow President Trump’s executive order earlier this year directing the phased elimination of USAGM. According to Lake, the agency is already on track for an 85 percent workforce reduction, with complete closure on the horizon.

“Our goal is to shut the entire agency down as per the instructions of President Trump,” Lake stated. “It’s been a big job, but we’re working hard at it.”

National Security or Political Score?

The disclosures raise fundamental questions about who gets to tell America’s story—and whether institutions created to defend national interests are instead undermining them. The Trump administration argues that reform is necessary to preserve U.S. sovereignty and restore the integrity of public diplomacy.

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Should U.S.-funded media ever host foreign nationals with ties to adversarial governments—or does that violate the very spirit of American messaging abroad? We invite your thoughts in the comments.

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