🔗 Share this article US Jurist Orders Trump Government to Reopen Voice of America. Broadcasting equipment on a desk. (Photo Credit: Getty Images) A US court has determined that the effective shuttering of the VOA last year was unlawful and has commanded the return of many of its staff. Judicial Mandate Issues One-Week Deadline District Court Judge Royce Lamberth has given authorities seven days to restore the broadcaster's operations. Wartime Roots and Trump-Era Closure The VOA was originally established in World War Two to combat Nazi disinformation. Just weeks after being sworn in again as president, Donald Trump signed an presidential directive to shut down the broadcaster, which his officials claimed had political bias. The order also targeted networks such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, stating they should be “eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law”. Leadership Shake-Up and Mass Dismissals President Trump named Kari Lake to head the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the oversight body that manages and finances the VOA and other networks. Lake proceeded to fire the vast majority of the agency's employees—more than 1,000 staff at VOA by itself—leaving just a handful of employees remaining. Most of the affected staff have been on leave with pay since last year. This even applied to Persian Service reporters who were temporarily|called back to work after Israel attacked Iran last June. Judge’s Reasoning and Decision Last week, Judge Lamberth ruled that Lake lacked the authority to order the suspension of the USAGM workforce, as she had not been approved by the US Senate. In this week's ruling, the judge labeled the decision to fire the journalists as unreasonable and impulsive, adding that the government had ignored legislation that determine what languages and regions the VOA must serve. “The government have provided nothing approaching a principled basis for their decision,” Lamberth wrote. Journalists’ Lawsuit and Reaction Three VOA journalists had sued the Trump administration. One of them, Patsy Widakuswara, expressed being deeply grateful for the judge's decision. “We hope the American people will continue to support our mission to produce factual reporting, not biased messaging,” she said to the Associated Press. Unclear Next Steps and Broader Context It is uncertain if Lake's proposed successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment requires Senate confirmation—will challenge the ruling. Before being wound down, the VOA broadcast TV, radio, and digital content in almost 50 languages. Trump's criticisms of the VOA form part of his broader criticism of the US media, which research indicates American news consumers view as deeply divided.