New U.S. broadcasting chief fires agency heads

Q What about waiving visa restrictions for —

THE PRESIDENT: But I am glad you asked that question because we want the farmers — they’ve had this for years. We want the farmers to be able to get the people that have been working those farms for years or we’re not going to have farms. So they’re going to come in and they’re going to be given a certain pass. And we’re going to check them very, very closely, especially over the next month.

Because remember, after a month or so — I think once this passes, we’re not going to have to be, hopefully, worried too much about the virus.

But we want them to come in. We’re not closing the border so that we can’t get any of those people to come in. They’ve been there for years and years, and I’ve given the commitment to the farmers: They’re going to continue to come. Or we’re not going to have any farmers. Okay?

Yeah. One more question.

Q What about waiving visa restrictions for immigrant doctors?

THE PRESIDENT: Who are you with, by the way?

Q I am with Voice of America.

THE PRESIDENT: Boy. Amazing.

Q So what about waiving these restrictions on immigrant doctors?

THE PRESIDENT: Okay. Who else, please?

{snip}

END

7:18 P.M. EDT

FOREIGN POLICY

Amid a Pandemic, Voice of America Spends Your Money to Promote Foreign Propaganda

April 10, 2020 3 minute read

This story first appeared in 1600 Daily, the White House’s evening newsletter. Subscribe now to get breaking news from President Trump before anyone else.

Voice of America is a global news network funded by American taxpayers. It spends about $200 million each year on its mission to “tell America’s story” and “present the policies of the United States clearly and effectively” to people around the globe.

Today, however, VOA too often speaks for America’s adversaries—not its citizens.

The Coronavirus pandemic is no exception. Secrecy from the Communist Party of China allowed the deadly virus to spread across the world.

Journalists should report the facts, but VOA has instead amplified Beijing’s propaganda. This week, VOA called China’s Wuhan lockdown a successful “model” copied by much of the world—and then tweeted out video of the Communist government’s celebratory light show marking the quarantine’s alleged end.

Even worse, while much of the U.S. media takes its lead from China, VOA went one step further: It created graphics with Communist government statistics to compare China’s Coronavirus death toll to America’s. As intelligence experts point out, there is simply no way to verify the accuracy of China’s numbers.

The Coronavirus story is just one example of this pattern. Last year, VOA helped highlight the Twitter feed of Iran Foreign Minister Javad Zarif while he was issuing threats against the U.S. and sharing Russian anti-U.S. propaganda videos.

“VOA will represent America,” its guiding Charter reads. And for years after its founding during World War II, VOA served that mission by promoting freedom and democracy across the world for audiences who longed for both.

Today, VOA is promoting propaganda instead—and your tax dollars are paying for it.

US broadcasting chief fires agency heads in major reshuffle
By MATTHEW LEE
today