Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is taking aim at taxpayer-funded media outlets that he claims are little more than propaganda machines for the U.S. government. His main targets? Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and Voice of America (VOA). Both organizations have deep roots in Cold War-era information warfare, but Musk argues they have outlived their usefulness and now function as tools for spreading state-sponsored narratives.

RFE/RL and VOA were originally designed to combat enemy propaganda. VOA began in the 1940s to counter Nazi disinformation, later shifting focus to the Soviet Union. RFE/RL, founded in 1953 as “Radio Liberation from Bolshevism,” was specifically created to challenge Soviet influence in Eastern Europe. These outlets merged in 1976, consolidating their mission to push democratic ideals and resist authoritarian messaging. While they played a key role during the Cold War, Musk and others believe their continued operation is unnecessary in today’s world.

Musk’s push to defund RFE/RL and VOA aligns with his broader goal of reducing government-funded media influence. He has repeatedly pointed out that taxpayer money is being funneled into media organizations that should, in theory, be able to sustain themselves independently. Earlier this year, his team scrutinized federal payments to news organizations like Politico, the Associated Press, and the New York Times. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt revealed that the government spent over $8 million on Politico subscriptions alone in 2023. This, Musk argues, makes these outlets effectively state-sponsored media pushing narratives favorable to those in power.

Former Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell has also voiced strong opposition to RFE/RL and VOA. On X (formerly Twitter), Grenell slammed these organizations as “government-paid media,” filled with “far-left activists.” Musk, in his usual blunt style, responded, “Shut them down. Europe is free now. Nobody listens to them anymore. It’s just radical left crazy people talking to themselves while torching $1B/year of US taxpayer money.”

Musk’s argument boils down to this: These outlets no longer serve their intended purpose, and instead of offering unbiased reporting, they have become ideologically driven platforms. In his view, they represent a waste of taxpayer dollars and an outdated approach to information dissemination.

Our Take

Musk is right to call out government-funded media outlets that have outlived their original purpose. The U.S. government has no business financing news organizations, especially when they promote biased narratives that align with the political establishment. Taxpayer dollars shouldn’t be used to prop up media platforms that could—and should—stand on their own in the free market. If these outlets truly provide value, they’ll find their own audience and funding. If not, they don’t deserve to exist. Musk’s push to shut them down is a necessary step toward limiting government overreach and ensuring a truly independent media landscape.