US

The head of DOGE has said Radio Free Europe and Voice of America are essentially “radical left crazy people talking to themselves”

Tech billionaire Elon Musk, the head of the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), called for US state-run media outlets Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and Voice of America (VOA) to be shut down on Sunday. Musk said the outlets burn through taxpayer money and are no longer relevant.

Radio Liberty (RL) started broadcasting on March 1, 1953, specifically targeting audiences in the Soviet Union. The two organizations merged to become RFE/RL in 1976, combining their operations.

VOA was established in the 1940s to counter Nazi propaganda and shifted its focus to the Soviet Union in 1947. It continues to be funded by Congress and its management is directly controlled by the US government. The US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees both VOA and RFE/RL, is a US federal agency. 

#ElonMusk called for shutting down #US-funded media like Voice of America & Radio Free Europe on Sunday, calling them a waste of taxpayer money. He echoed a post labeling #VOA as a “far-left state media,” adding: “Shut them all down.” pic.twitter.com/LSFgFghFyU

— Shanghai Daily (@shanghaidaily) February 10, 2025

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