It’s no secret that Kari Lake will likely never hold elected office. She tried multiple times, but it didn’t pan out. She has the makings of an elected official and a great camera presence, but it’s just not going to happen. It’s not the end of the world. President Trump selected her as a senior adviser with the United States Agency for Global Media, which supervises Voice of America.
Lake spearheaded the deep cuts to the outlet, which will have a bare-bones crew. Being that this agency and VOA direct money to other outlets, like Radio Free Europe, the planned surgery on VOA was brought before the House Foreign Affairs Committee (via WaPo):
The Trump administration’s dismantling of the agency that oversees Voice of America and other government-funded news operations was necessary because it is “incompetent, corrupt, biased, and a threat to America’s national security and standing in the world,” Kari Lake told a House committee Wednesday.
Making her first-ever appearance before Congress, Lake defended her tenure and said the U.S. Agency for Global Media needs to be shrunk until it can be eliminated.
Lake, the senior adviser to the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which runs VOA and funds a handful of global media networks, has taken a hack-and-slash approach that, unless halted by federal courts, will lead to an 85 percent reduction in force and a severe curtailing of the agency’s reach overseas. Most USAGM staffers have been placed on paid administrative leave since March, more than 500 contractors have been fired, and more than 600 full-time staffers received termination notices last week.
[…]
Democrats railed against Lake’s dismantling of the agency, characterizing it as haphazard and demanding that she explain what analysis she conducted before making extensive cuts. “These are ridiculous questions,” Lake told Rep. Gregory W. Meeks (New York), the top Democrat on the committee, when he pressed her about it.
Reps. Greg Stanton (D-Arizona), Pramila Jayapal (D-Washington), and Gabe Amo (D-Rhode Island) said Lake lacks qualifications to lead a news organization because of her persistent and false claims of election denial in her own races and President Donald Trump’s 2020 presidential election loss. Amo called Lake a “nightmare for the free press” but a friend to America’s adversaries.
And Lake’s electoral history was brought up by Rep. Stanton, who claimed that she was unqualified since she questioned the 2020 elections. Yet, if there’s one thing about Lake, she’s good at delivering punches, too. Stanton asked a snotty question of Lake. Her response was classic, as she tried to warn that her agency has the power to be a fake news factory (via K12 News):
BREAKING: Kari Lake responds to Rep. Stanton calling her a two time loser.
— Leading Report (@LeadingReport) June 25, 2025
“I remember the stories about you where they said you had a gay lover.” pic.twitter.com/xCUbK5tL9T
Stanton ended with a question for Lake:
You lost for governor in 2022 to Katie Hobbs, you lost, even worse, to Ruben Gallego for Senate in 2024. Arizona has another election for Governor next year. Will you do us all a favor ... and run for governor again?"
Lake responded: "That was complete insanity."
She repeated her and other Republicans' claims that USAGM "can put out absolute, abject lies" that elected officials couldn't respond to.
Then Lake tried to make the situation relatable to Stanton. She made a bizarre claim about the congressman, for which there is no evidence.
"They could literally put out a lie about anybody here," Lake told Stanton. "I know you've been the victim of that. I know you've been the victim. I remember the stories about you where they said you had a gay lover."
Of course, the reaction was atomic.
Damn, Lake. Sorry, I need to give a hat tip for that.
