President-elect Donald Trump (R) announced this week that Kari Lake (R) would serve as the director of Voice of America (VOA). The state media was established in 1942, and Lake is ready to take the reins and share the “great story” America has to tell. However, the choice is now facing opposition from Democrats who believe that the Trump Administration will politicize VOA. Former Florida Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (D) calls the appointment of Lake as VOA director “another blatant abuse of power.”
During an appearance on Real America’s Voice with Steve Bannon, Lake discussed her upcoming role as the director of VOA. Bannon called the VOA “the anti-communist network,” adding that the network helped the United States claim victory in the Cold War.
America already has a great story to tell, and over the next four years under President Trump, we’re going to have an even better story to tell about the renewal of America.
I can't wait to get started serving in President Trump’s Administration as Director of Voice of America! pic.twitter.com/BXCOIgSAXo
— Kari Lake (@KariLake) December 12, 2024
Lake commented that she’s ready to “get busy” in her new role under the Trump Administration, commenting that “we’ve got a great story to tell, and over the next four years, we’re gonna have an even better story to tell.” “I’m looking forward to telling of the renewal of America to the world,” she added, noting that she is also “looking forward to making sure that we’re covering what’s happening with this administration in a fair and accurate manner as we should as journalists.”
Before embarking on a political run, Lake served as a journalist for over 20 years, but a dissatisfaction with the “Fake News” caused her to change course.
While Lake claims that VOA will be “fair and accurate,” former Rep. Mucarsel-Powell warns that under her leadership there’s no way that VOA will be so.
Taking to social media to comment on the appointment, the former Florida Congresswoman issued a scathing review.
Voice of America is mandated to provide independent and unbiased news, free from political interference. Yet here we are—Trump appointing Kari Lake is another blatant abuse of power, turning this news outlet into state-run media for political purposes. This is the kind of control… pic.twitter.com/QMiyBFcJgb
— Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (@DebbieforFL) December 12, 2024
“Voice of America is mandated to provide independent and unbiased news, free from political interference,” she wrote. “Yet here we are – Trump appointing Kari Lake is another blatant abuse of power, turning this news outlet into state-run media for political purposes,” she added.
This, she says, is no different than the state-run media that one would find in “communist regimes like China.”
