Trump names Kari Lake as choice for VOA director

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said Wednesday he plans to appoint Kari Lake, an Arizona politician and former journalist, to head the international, government-funded broadcaster Voice of America.

Trump announced on his social media platform Truth Social that Lake would be named director of VOA. Lake is a close political ally of the president-elect and a former host of a Fox News television network in Phoenix, Arizona.

She worked in journalism for 27 years before leaving the profession in 2021 to run for governor of Arizona.

During an unsuccessful run for Senate in 2024, Lake said Arizona should be a “standard-bearer of America First politics.”

Trump also wrote Wednesday that he would soon announce his pick to head the U.S. Agency for Global Media, known as USAGM, which oversees VOA along with other U.S.-funded broadcasters. This position is nominated by the President and requires Senate approval. Trump said his choice as CEO would appoint Lake and work closely with him.

The executive director of the publicly funded USAGM ensures that broadcasters fulfill their mission of producing credible and accurate journalism for countries with limited free media.

VOA’s current director, Mike Abramowitz, sent an email to staff Thursday morning saying he had read the announcement about Lake on Wednesday night and had received no further information beyond the social media post.

“I welcome a smooth transition of power for both USAGM and VOA. “I intend to work with the new administration and pursue the process of appointing VOA’s director,” he wrote.

The 2020 law restructured agency leadership

USAGM’s CEO has the authority to hire or fire network executives, but under a bipartisan bill passed in December 2020, changes to network executives require a majority vote of the International Broadcasting Advisory Board.

The Board consists of six members appointed by the President with staggered terms and the Secretary of State. His role is to advise the CEO to ensure that he or she respects the editorial independence and integrity of the networks and grantees and that the highest journalistic standards are maintained.

In a post on social media platform X, Lake said she was honored to be considered for the VOA role. She said that VOA is an “important international media company” that promotes “democracy and truth.”

“Under my leadership, VOA will excel in fulfilling its mission: to chronicle America’s achievements around the world.” VOA attempted to reach Lake for comment through the media section of its campaign website but had not received a response at the time of publication.

VOA broadcasts weekly to an audience of 354 million people in 49 languages. Its current director, Abramowitz, is the former president of Freedom House and was a reporter and editor for The Washington Post for 24 years.