Federal Judge Blocks Trump Administration’s Attempt to Defund Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth has issued a temporary restraining order halting the Trump administration’s efforts to defund Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), a U.S. government-funded news organization originally created during the Cold War to counter communist propaganda. The judge’s ruling marks a significant legal setback for the administration’s broader push to scale back federal spending on foreign media operations.
The Attempt to Terminate RFE/RL
On March 15, 2025, Kari Lake, now serving as Senior Advisor to the Acting CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), issued a letter terminating RFE/RL’s federal funding. This action was carried out under the direction of an executive order from President Donald Trump, part of a broader initiative aimed at restructuring and defunding agencies seen as promoting internationalist agendas or no longer serving core U.S. interests.
The termination letter triggered an immediate funding freeze. A $7.5 million invoice submitted by RFE/RL two days later went unpaid, effectively threatening the organization’s continued operations across 23 countries, including regions in Central Asia, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe.
Legal Challenge and Judicial Intervention
In response, RFE/RL filed a lawsuit against USAGM, Kari Lake, and Acting CEO Victor Morales, claiming the funding termination violated the U.S. Constitution’s Appropriations Clause, which grants Congress—not the executive branch—exclusive authority over federal spending.
Judge Lamberth agreed, granting a temporary restraining order that blocks the Trump administration from taking any further steps to shut down or wind down RFE/RL. In his decision, Lamberth criticized the agency’s lack of justification, stating it had acted “arbitrarily and capriciously” by attempting to dismantle the organization without sufficient explanation.
“The leadership of USAGM cannot, with one sentence of reasoning offering virtually no explanation, force RFE/RL to shut down—even if the President has told them to do so,” the judge wrote.
He cited existing statutes affirming Congress’s commitment to freedom of information and communication across borders, concluding that RFE/RL’s mission remains consistent with that mandate.
Controversy Over RFE/RL’s Modern Role
Critics of RFE/RL, including members of the Trump administration and conservative media, argue the agency has drifted far from its Cold War origins and now functions more as a tool for promoting globalist ideologies. They accuse the outlet of undermining nationalist movements abroad while presenting biased narratives aligned with U.S. establishment foreign policy goals.
Supporters of the agency, however, claim RFE/RL remains a vital source of independent news and media freedom in authoritarian regions, where access to uncensored information is limited or suppressed.
Broader Implications for Executive Authority
The judge’s ruling underscores the legal and constitutional boundaries around executive authority, particularly when it comes to agencies funded by congressional appropriations. While President Trump has prioritized cutting what he sees as unnecessary foreign expenditures, this decision places a legal check on the administration’s ability to unilaterally terminate such programs.
What Comes Next
The restraining order is temporary but effectively preserves RFE/RL’s operations while the lawsuit proceeds. The case could set a precedent on how far the executive branch can go in reducing or eliminating federal programs without explicit congressional approval. It also reopens long-standing debates about the role of U.S.-funded media abroad and the separation of powers between the White House and Congress.
For now, RFE/RL will continue operating with its current federal support, while USAGM and the administration weigh their next legal move.
