By Blessing Nweke
President Donald Trump on Thursday nominated senior State Department official Sarah Rogers to serve as chief executive of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, days after a federal judge ruled that actions taken by acting CEO Kari Lake violated federal law.
The nomination came less than a week after U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth determined that decisions Lake made while serving as acting chief between July 31 and Nov. 19 must be considered void. The ruling nullified several moves, including an Aug. 29 workforce reduction that eliminated more than 500 jobs at Voice of America and other divisions within the agency.
Lake sharply criticized the ruling and mocked the judge’s appearance in a social media post. She said she would remain deputy CEO while Michael Rigas temporarily assumes the role of acting CEO until Rogers is confirmed by the Senate.
“Together, Mike and I… will root out corruption at the agency and make it more accountable to American taxpayers,” Lake wrote on the social media platform X.
A State Department spokesperson said Rogers would continue serving as undersecretary for public diplomacy if confirmed, noting that the broadcasting agency’s mission has long aligned with the department’s global messaging efforts.
Rogers, a former First Amendment lawyer whose past clients included the National Rifle Association, has become a prominent voice in the administration’s criticism of European speech regulations. She has frequently condemned the European Commission and other authorities over enforcement of laws targeting online hate speech and misinformation.
Her remarks have drawn controversy, particularly comments about immigration in Germany and her interactions with politicians from the far-right Alternative for Germany party.
Despite the criticism, Rogers’ supporters say she could strengthen coordination between U.S. international broadcasting and American public diplomacy if confirmed.
Original article
Comments