Richard Grenell, President Donald Trump’s former acting Director of National Intelligence (DNI) and former US Ambassador to Germany (2018-2020), attacked former VOA White House bureau chief Steve Herman, who has been reporting on the USAID and DOGE situation, and including the perspectives of some who characterize it as an “unlawful seizure.”
Grenell wrote on X: “Aren’t you a taxpayer funded ‘reporter’ for @voa? Why are you working against President Trump’s reform plans for the U.S. budget? You weren’t elected. It isn’t too much to suggest this is treasonous. You don’t get to work against the official U.S. government policies while being paid by US taxpayers. You should be immediately fired.”
Aren’t you a taxpayer funded “reporter” for @voa?
Why are you working against President Trump’s reform plans for the U.S. budget?
You weren’t elected.
It isn’t too much to suggest this is treasonous. You don’t get to work against the official U.S. government policies while… https://t.co/P8Egpx9PJV
— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) February 9, 2025
Grenell added: “Radio Free Europe and Voice of America are media outlets paid for by the American taxpayers. It is state-owned media. These outlets are filled with far left activists. I’ve worked with these reporters for decades. It’s a relic of the past. We don’t need government paid media outlets.”
Radio Free Europe and Voice of America are media outlets paid for by the American taxpayers.
It is state-owned media.
These outlets are filled with far left activists.
I’ve worked with these reporters for decades.
It’s a relic of the past. We don’t need government paid…
— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) February 9, 2025
The world’s richest man, Elon Musk, the leader of the Trump-created DOGE, which unilaterally shut down USAID last week, agreed with Grenell.
Musk replied: “Yes, shut them down,” and “Nobody listens to them anymore.” Note: Musk also called for the closing of Radio Free Europe. (NOTE: Historically, Musk’s committing to an action on X is a quasi-official declaration of intent.)
Elon Musk calls for the shutdown of “Radio Free Europe” and “Voice of America”
“Nobody listens to them anymore”. pic.twitter.com/00ngwOe5yT
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) February 9, 2025
If Musk’s DOGE follows through on his X post — “yes, shut them down” — and does to Voice of America what it did to USAID (the shutdown has been paused temporarily by a judge), Trump’s choice to run the VOA, the MAGA media personality and Trump acolyte Kari Lake of Arizona, will lose her new position as the Director of Voice of America.