Voice of America had 1,300 employees before the Trump administration’s March 2025 action, according to a federal court record. The U.S. Agency for Global Media said paid administrative leave for most affected staff would begin March 15, one day after President Donald Trump issued Executive Order 14238. The staffing picture later changed: The Washington Post reported on October 2, 2026, that 420 VOA staff remained on leave at an estimated cost of $1.6 million per week.
What happened, and when did leave begin?
President Donald Trump issued Executive Order 14238 on March 14, 2025. The following day, the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees Voice of America (VOA), announced that most affected staff would be placed on paid administrative leave beginning March 15, until further notice. USAGM said the action was intended to comply with the order and eliminate non-statutory agency components and functions to the maximum extent consistent with law. That was the agency’s stated rationale, not a court ruling that the action was lawful. USAGM’s March 15, 2025 statement describes the announcement.
How many people were affected?
The figures refer to different dates and groups, so they should not be treated as competing counts of the same population.
| Date and population | Reported figure | What it describes |
|---|---|---|
| Before March 15, 2025 — VOA employees | 1,300 | Pre-action headcount stated in a federal court record. |
| March 31, 2026 — VOA employees | More than 1,000 | Employees AP reported would remain on leave after an appellate panel stayed a return-to-work order. |
| October 2, 2026 — USAGM federal employees | 994 of 1,147 | Federal employees the Washington Post reported had been placed on leave, citing agency counts. |
| October 2, 2026 — USAGM contract workers | 594 of 602 | Contract workers the Washington Post reported had been cut. |
| October 2, 2026 — VOA staff | 420 | Staff the Washington Post reported remained on leave. |
The 1,300 figure is the precise pre-action count in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia record. The Washington Post’s October 2026 figures came from agency counts and a State Department inspector general report, according to the newspaper; the report estimated the weekly cost of keeping the 420 VOA staff on leave at $1.6 million. That is a reported estimate, not an independently audited figure established here. The Washington Post’s October 2, 2026 report gives the later counts and cost estimate.
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What is the latest reported court status?
On March 31, 2026, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit stayed a district court order requiring staff to return while the government’s appeal proceeded, according to the Associated Press. AP reported at the time that more than 1,000 VOA employees would remain on leave. This was an interim step, not a final resolution of the appeal. The Associated Press account of the March 31, 2026 stay describes that posture; no later disposition is established by the available reporting.
What the figures do—and do not—show
Before the executive order, VOA operated in 49 languages and broadcast to 362 million people, figures reported by AP. Those background numbers provide scale, but by themselves they do not measure the effect of the staffing action on VOA’s services. AP’s report is the source for those figures.
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For readers assessing the financial dimension, the reported $1.6 million weekly cost concerns 420 VOA staff on leave, not all USAGM employees or contractors. The October 2, 2026 report attributes the estimate to an inspector general report and agency data. Staffing and litigation can change, so figures tied to these events should be read with their dates and populations.
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