In a recent announcement, President-elect Donald Trump revealed that he intends to appoint Kari Lake as the director of Voice of America (VOA). This decision places a prominent supporter, who previously ran for both the Arizona governorship and a U.S. Senate seat, at the helm of the government-funded broadcaster responsible for delivering independent news globally.
Lake, known for her stringent views on immigration, worked as a television anchor in Phoenix for nearly thirty years. However, she departed from her role in 2021 following a string of contentious remarks on social media, which included allegations of misinformation regarding COVID-19 during the health crisis.
After transitioning into politics, Lake rapidly gained popularity and developed a national recognition by fiercely engaging with the media while echoing many of Trump’s sentiments, particularly his critiques of what she termed “fake news.” Trump expressed confidence that Lake would be supported by the future head of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, a position he is expected to announce soon.
Taking to a public platform, Trump elaborated that Lake’s role would be crucial in promoting the core values of freedom and liberty on a global scale, asserting that her approach would contrast sharply with the “lies” propagated by mainstream media.
Historically, Trump has voiced strong objections to the content produced by Voice of America, labeling some of its reports as “disgusting” to the nation. During his presidency, VOA faced backlash for its reporting on the initial phases of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially after its coverage of the easing of lockdowns in Wuhan. An official White House publication criticized the broadcaster for allegedly misusing taxpayer funds to represent authoritarian governments.
Founded during World War II, VOA operates under a congressional charter mandating it to deliver impartial news and information to audiences worldwide. Following Trump’s criticism, the organization staunchly defended its reporting integrity. In January 2021, when Joe Biden took office, his administration promptly dismissed several senior officials affiliated with Trump from VOA and its related positions.
Kari Lake has maintained her loyalty to Trump, often claiming that both were victims of electoral fraud. She has yet to concede her loss in the gubernatorial election and referred to herself as the “lawful governor” in her recent publication, “Unafraid: Just Getting Started.” Despite her ongoing legal challenges to contest the election results, Lake faced further setbacks in her Senate campaign, where she lost by a significant margin after attempting to soften her messaging on contentious issues like election fraud and abortion.
In addition to Lake’s nomination, Trump also put forward several other appointments, including Leandro Rizzuto as the U.S. ambassador to the Organization of American States based in Washington, and Dan Newlin as the ambassador to Colombia. Furthermore, he selected Dr. Peter Lamelas, founder of one of Florida’s largest urgent care companies, for the ambassador position to Argentina—Lamelas is recognized for his substantial contributions to Trump’s previous campaigns and other leading Republicans.
