Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), a U.S.-funded news outlet established during the Cold War, has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration after its federal grant was terminated. The U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) recently cut funding to RFE/RL, which broadcasts to Eastern Europe, Russia, and Ukraine, as well as Radio Free Asia, which serves China and North Korea.
The decision has drawn sharp criticism from press freedom advocates, who argue that defunding RFE/RL weakens U.S. efforts to counter propaganda in authoritarian regimes. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, contends that the funding cut violates federal law, as Congress had already appropriated the grants.
“This is not the time to cede terrain to the propaganda and censorship of America’s adversaries,” said RFE/RL President and CEO Stephen Capus. The move comes as part of Trump's broader effort to slash federal spending, with Elon Musk, a key advocate of government downsizing, previously calling for RFE/RL’s shutdown on X.
In addition to RFE/RL, over 1,300 Voice of America employees were placed on leave following Trump’s order to downsize USAGM and six other agencies. Critics argue that these actions threaten press independence and limit access to credible news in regions where media freedom is already restricted.
RFE/RL, which provides independent journalism in 23 countries, maintains that cutting its funding plays into the hands of authoritarian regimes. As the lawsuit unfolds, press freedom supporters warn that this decision could diminish the U.S.’s global influence in promoting democratic values.