Kari Lake stops Radio Free Europe from broadcasting into Iran over politics
Kari Lake — the figurehead tapped by Donald Trump to lead the U.S. Agency for Global Media, or USAGM, where her leadership may not even be legally sanctioned — admitted this week that she had prevented Radio Free Europe from broadcasting into Iran, as she faces ongoing allegations of hampering the congressionally funded organization in ways that undermine U.S. diplomacy.
Writer Oliver Darcy reported in his Status newsletter this week that Lake had denied Radio Free Europe access to a USAGM transmitter in Kuwait that would allow it to broadcast into Iran amid the regime’s deadly crackdown on protesters. The decision has hampered the outlet’s ability to reach the Iranian public at a time when the government had blacked out internet access.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Lake said she had denied Radio Free Europe access because, in her opinion, the outlet had failed to “better align their message with American foreign policy.”
The fake news is in hyperdrive spreading lies right now about USAGM and RFE/RL broadcasting in Iran. Here’s the truthUSAGM and our outlets have greatly increased coverage into Iran. VOA Farsi is providing expanded hours of TV, radio and digital coverage each day sharing the…— Kari Lake (@KariLake) January 14, 2026
For a sense of Lake’s judgment on what such alignment might look like, consider that Lake previously vowed to strip funding from Radio Free Europe over its Hungarian outlet’s critical coverage of Trump’s authoritarian ally Viktor Orban.
Even in the face of rebukes from federal judges, Lake hasn’t let up in her effort to undermine, if not outright destroy, the media agency. Nor has criticism of Lake’s leadership at USAGM