President-elect Donald Trump has announced Kari Lake as his choice to lead state-run media network Voice of America (VOA).
Lake, a former TV news anchor, launched a political career as a Republican Trump loyalist just after the president-elect’s first term in the White House. She has gone on to lose both Arizona’s 2022 gubernatorial election to Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs and this year’s Arizona U.S. Senate race to Democratic Senator-elect Ruben Gallego.
While announcing Lake’s coming job for the U.S. government network in a post to Truth Social on Wednesday night, Trump said that he expected Lake to use her position to counter “the Fake News Media.” He also pointed out that she would technically be appointed by the U.S. Agency for Global Media, the federal agency overseeing VOA.
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“I am pleased to announce that Kari Lake will serve as our next Director of the Voice of America,” Trump wrote. “She will be appointed by, and work closely with, our next head of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, who I will announce soon, to ensure that the American values of Freedom and Liberty are broadcast around the World FAIRLY and ACCURATELY, unlike the lies spread by the Fake News Media.”
“Kari was a beloved News Anchor in Arizona, which supported me by record margins, for over 20 years,” he added. “Congratulations Kari!”
Newsweek reached out for comment to Lake’s office via email on Wednesday night.
This is a developing story and will be updated as further information becomes available.
