Silencing the voice of America

“A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves.” ―Edward R. Murrow

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While you (hopefully) slept, Trump defied a federal court order on deportations; declared Biden’s pre-emptive pardons of J6 Committee members “VOID, VACANT, AND OF NO FURTHER FORCE OR EFFECT”; and shut down more federal agencies without congressional approval.

None of this is legal.

Happy Monday.

Here’s a modest suggestion: why don’t we give up the insanity for Lent; and remember that we are not the crazy ones.

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For the first time in 83 years, the voice of America fell silent this weekend. For more than eight decades, that voice had (not always consistently) championed democratic values, challenged tyrants and bullies, and brought information, news, and hope to millions of people yearning to breathe free.

This weekend, Donald Trump silenced it.

Nearly the entire staff of the Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Free Asia/Radio Liberty was laid off and its legendary operations shut down. There were no congressional hearings, no debate, no votes. America was gagged by decree: Voice of America channels fall silent as Trump administration guts agency and cancels contracts | CNN Business

The director of the Voice of America, Michael Abramowitz, confirmed the gutting of the agency and its stations.

“I learned this morning that virtually the entire staff of Voice of America—more than 1300 journalists, producers and support staff—has been placed on administrative leave today. So have I….

"VOA promotes freedom and democracy around the world by telling America’s story and by providing objective and balanced news and information, especially for those living under tyranny. Even if the agency survives in some form, the actions being taken today by the Administration will severely damage Voice of America’s ability to foster a world that is safe and free and in doing so is failing to protect US interests," he added.

On one level, there is a kind of sick consistency here: Why should America continue to be a beacon of democracy to the world, while it is dismantling its constitutional order here at home? After all, what America is actually doing is far louder than anything it is saying.

But Trump’s actions were yet another extraordinary gift to the world’s autocrats; a sweet belated valentine to Putin, Xi, and thugs everywhere.¹ (I’m trying to imagine the reaction among conservatives if Barack Obama or Joe Biden had done the same thing.) But it is tragically consistent with Trump’s retreat from the leadership of the Free World.²

Here’s Ilya Somin in Reason Magazine:

During the Cold War, millions of people living under communist regimes listened to these networks, and got news and analysis that countered regime propaganda. These media helped inspire dissident movements, and the eventual overthrow of communism in the USSR and Eastern Europe in 1989-91. My own parents were among the many Soviet citizens who clandestinely listened to VOA broadcasts, and it helped solidify their opposition to the regime.

Shutting these programs down is an obvious boon to dictators like Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping. As Russian opposition leader Vladimir Kara-Murza puts it, Trump's EO is "One more champagne bottle opened in the Kremlin." It is, sadly, of a piece with the Trump Administration's increasing estrangement from other liberal democracies, and alignment with despots like Putin.

Exit take: Fuq this guy.

Bonus Schadenfreude alert: “Trump tapped Kari Lake to run VOA. Then he dismantled it.” Thoughts and prayers for Kari… who seems to be extending her losing streak.

Podcasts, podcasts, podcasts

I joined Harty Litman, Ali Vitali and Josh Marshall on the latest Talking Feds podcast… which you can listen to here.

We discuss the state of play in politics and U.S. society after 2 months of hyper-aggressive moves by Donald Trump. Minority leader Charles Schumer opted to go along with Republican plans to fund the government, to the consternation of many Dems. Trump is trying to exercise control in large parts of civil society, including law, media, and the academy. Popular opposition is expanding, but can it make a difference?

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Also: I had a lively conversation with Corey Nathan on “Talking Politics and Religion Without Killing One Another)”

📌 What We Discuss

• How the Republican Party shifted from traditional conservatism to a Trump-dominated movement.

• Why democracy faces real threats in the U.S. and globally.

• The importance of character in political leadership and why many conservatives abandoned this principle.

• Whether a pro-democracy coalition can hold back extremism in both parties.

• How we can have better political conversations without dehumanizing each other.

You can listen to the whole thing here.

Catching up:

• New York Times: Under G.O.P., Congress Cedes Power to Trump, Eroding Its Influence

• Washington Post: Funding bill may grant Trump, Musk more control over federal spending

• Bloomberg: Trump’s Science Cuts Have Thrown the Research World Into Chaos

• Executive Functions: Donald Trump's All-Out Attack on Law Firms - by Bob Bauer

• Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: He voted for Trump. Then ICE detained his wife

• Daily Beast: Vance Admits Musk Has Made ‘Mistakes’ While Blowing Up Government

• New York Times: Elon Musk Shared, Then Removed a Post Absolving Dictators for Genocide

• Bloomberg: DOGE Staffer Broke Treasury Rules Transmitting Personal Data

• Associated Press: Trump administration deports hundreds of immigrants even as a judge orders their removals be stopped

• Associated Press: Trump administration ramps up rhetoric targeting the courts amid mounting legal setbacks

• Axios: How Trump's White House defied a judge's order halting deportations

• New York Times: Brown University Professor and Doctor Is Deported to Lebanon Despite a Judge’s Order

• New York Times: With Deportations, Trump Steps Closer to Showdown With Judicial Branch

• New York Times: DOGE Cuts Reach Key Nuclear Scientists, Bomb Engineers and Safety Experts

• Politico: ‘Beyond My Wildest Dreams’: The Architect of Project 2025 Is Ready for His Victory Lap

Finally

Good.

Monday dogs

Playing ball on a snow day.

..

Auggie and Eli took a Sunday ramble in the snowy woods.

1. NBC: Chinese state media cheer Trump’s decision to axe Voice of America

Chinese state media are celebrating President Donald Trump’s move to gut Voice of America and other U.S. government-funded news outlets that push back against authoritarian regimes.

His executive order on Friday dismantling Voice of America, Radio Free Asia and other outlets has been criticized as another blow to longstanding U.S. soft power efforts, amid fears that eroding U.S. influence abroad could create opportunities for governments such as China and Russia to promote their values instead.

2. Here is the statement by the Association of International Broadcasters on US Administration’s Decision to Cut Funding and Suspend Employees of Voice of America

The decision to cut funding and suspend operations has far-reaching and potentially irreversible consequences. It will:

• Undermine media freedom: By weakening one of the world’s most respected international news providers, these actions risk emboldening authoritarian regimes that seek to suppress independent journalism.

• Reduce access to credible information: Hundreds of millions of people who rely on US international broadcasters for accurate and unbiased reporting—particularly in conflict zones and countries with restricted press freedom—will find it more difficult to access reliable news.

• Damage America’s global credibility: The US has long championed press freedom as a fundamental democratic principle. By dismantling key international broadcasting institutions, the US government undermines its own commitment to free and independent journalism.