President Trump’s attempt to close Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) was stopped temporarily on Tuesday after a ruling from a federal judge.
Royce C. Lamberth, who sits on the U.S. District Court in Washington, issued an emergency legal order preventing the Trump administration from moving forward with its decision to shut down the broadcaster. His order makes it clear that the president does not have the power to close RFE/RL without going through proper channels.
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According to Judge Lamberth, shutting down the organization without more explanation violates the authority given to RFE/RL by Congress to support free speech and open public debate. He criticized the administration for using just a short explanation with no real details to justify the closure.
This comment was directed at a letter the administration sent to RFE/RL on March 15, saying that the broadcaster was no longer needed because government priorities had changed. The letter gave no additional reasons, only citing Trump’s wider plan to eliminate federal agencies.
The judge’s order ensures that RFE/RL can continue its work at least until March 28. At that point, Judge Lamberth will consider whether to issue a longer-term order to allow the organization to stay open while the legal case continues.
Background of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
RFE/RL started in the 1950s as a secret project backed by the CIA to challenge communism in Europe. It worked by sending anti-communist messages into Soviet-controlled countries during the Cold War.
Congress took over funding for the broadcaster in the 1970s and granted it full control over its news coverage. Today, RFE/RL produces news in nearly 30 languages and reaches about 47 million people weekly in places like Russia, Hungary, and Afghanistan.
Judge Lamberth made it clear that Congress still sees value in the service. He wrote that continuing its operation helps serve public interest and supports freedom of expression. He was nominated to the bench by former President Ronald Reagan.
Legal Challenge Targets Wider Trump Plan
Part of the Trump administration’s attempt was aimed not just at RFE/RL but at its parent organization, the U.S. Agency for Global Media. This agency oversees five government-funded broadcasters, including Voice of America.
The shutdown attempt came just one day after President Trump signed an executive order to break up the global media agency. The goal was to eliminate nearly $7.5 million in funding from its budget. Although RFE/RL operates as an independent nonprofit, it depends mostly on government funding.
The letter sent to RFE/RL simply said that the funding no longer matched agency goals. On Tuesday, Judge Lamberth responded that such a brief explanation was not enough to support closing down an outlet that Congress created through law.
He described the move as careless and said the reason given by the U.S. Agency for Global Media could not be taken seriously.
Kari Lake’s Role Draws Attention
The letter was signed by Kari Lake, who was brought into the agency as a special adviser. Ms. Lake, a former news anchor and failed Senate candidate, has pushed untrue claims about the 2020 election being stolen.
She was once named by Trump as the future head of Voice of America. However, legal concerns made it difficult to remove the current leader, so she was hired instead as an adviser.
Her new role caused concern that the Trump administration might try to interfere with the editorial independence of publicly funded newsrooms. Officials at the media agency even launched probes into journalists who either reported critically on Trump or made comments that didn’t support him.
During his presidency, Trump openly criticized government-backed media outlets and placed allies in central positions who were accused of damaging internal protections that guard against political pressure.
Previous Management Raised Legal and Ethical Questions
In 2020, Trump named Michael Pack, a supporter of Steve Bannon, to lead the U.S. Agency for Global Media. Mr. Pack was later accused of trying to make Voice of America serve the Trump administration’s political goals.
A judge ruled that Pack had infringed on journalists’ First Amendment rights. Investigators also found that he misused his authority by pushing out staff members who were seen as not loyal to Trump.
Most recently, Trump decided to cancel the nomination of L. Brent Bozell III, a conservative media critic, for the top position at the media agency. Instead, Trump named him to be the next U.S. ambassador to South Africa.
