Donald Trump, the president-elect, made an announcement on December 6th naming Kari Lake, a former Republican candidate from Arizona, as the new head of Voice of America (VOA). Lake, 55, who previously served as a popular news anchor in Arizona, will take on the role of director at VOA, a government-funded international media organization. Her appointment will also be closely linked with Trump’s future pick to lead the US Agency for Global Media, ensuring that American values of freedom and liberty are represented fairly and accurately across the globe.
Lake’s new role places her in charge of VOA, a prominent media outlet with a $267 million budget. VOA has come under scrutiny in recent years for accusations of censorship and its handling of sensitive topics, including how it described certain international events. For example, the network faced backlash for not labeling Hamas as a terrorist group and calling its attack on Israel in October 2023 an “incursion.”
Lake’s political career includes running for governor of Arizona in 2022, where she narrowly lost to Democrat Katie Hobbs but has since continued to challenge the results. In 2024, she ran for a U.S. Senate seat but lost again to Democrat Ruben Gallego. Despite these setbacks, Lake remains a strong ally of Donald Trump, having been endorsed by him in both her gubernatorial and Senate races.
In addition to the VOA appointment, Trump also announced several other key positions in his administration. Michael Rigas, who served in the first Trump administration, will return as deputy secretary of state for management and resources. Daniel Newlin, a personal injury lawyer and former law enforcement officer, will serve as ambassador to Colombia, while Dr. Peter Lamelas, a Cuban-American businessman, is set to be the ambassador to Argentina. Lastly, Leandro Rizzuto, who successfully grew Conair into a major company, will be nominated as ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS).
