President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday aimed at eliminating seven federal agencies, including those focusing on media, libraries, museums, and efforts to end homelessness.
The president directed the targeted entities “be eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law,” insisting they “reduce the performance of their statutory functions and associated personnel.” It required the heads of each entity to submit a report to the Office of Management and Budget confirming full compliance within seven days, The Hill reported.
The president targeted several organizations, including the U.S. Agency for Global Media—the parent organization of Voice of America (VOA)—the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars at the Smithsonian Institution, a prominent think tank, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services, which provides support to libraries, archives, and museums nationwide.
He also dismantled multiple agencies: the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, which works to prevent and end homelessness; the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, focused on avoiding and resolving labor disputes; the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, aimed at expanding economic opportunities for underserved communities; and the Minority Business Development Agency, which promotes growth among minority-owned businesses, The Hill added.
Amid uncertainty over VOA’s future, Trump selected former Arizona gubernatorial and Senate candidate Kari Lake to lead the outlet. Speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference last month, the Trump ally declared that under her leadership, the international broadcaster would not become “Trump TV.”
Although the president doesn’t directly appoint the head of VOA, he nominated conservative L. Brent Bozell III to lead the U.S. Agency for Global Media, the body that oversees VOA. Bozell must be confirmed by the Senate before he can assume his role and then could select Kari Lake.
“The U.S. Agency for Global Media also oversees Radio Free Asia, which broadcasts and publishes for audiences in Asia and is seen as a way to combat Chinese propaganda in the region,” notes The Hill.
The Trump administration is undertaking a major overhaul of the federal government, with tech billionaire Elon Musk tasked with finding ways to reduce spending and cut jobs. However, this effort has encountered obstacles in the courts—federal judges in district courts in Maryland and Northern California issued orders on Thursday to halt the mass dismissals.
On Friday, the White House announced its intention to appeal the federal court rulings that mandated the Trump administration reinstate probationary government employees.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration is probing over 50 universities for their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, which officials claim discriminate against white and Asian students.
The Department of Education announced the investigations on Friday, a month after the administration warned that universities must end their DEI programs or risk losing federal funding, the Daily Wire reported.
“Students must be assessed according to merit and accomplishment, not prejudged by the color of their skin,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said. “We will not yield on this commitment.”
Out of the 52 universities now under investigation, 45 of them are under federal scrutiny for their involvement with a group known as the PhD Project, which the Education Department described as “an organization that purports to provide doctoral students with insights into obtaining a Ph.D. and networking opportunities, but limits eligibility based on the race of participants.”
The investigations target a diverse array of universities nationwide, including Yale, Vanderbilt, Arizona State, New York University, Notre Dame, Boise State, Clemson, Cornell, Duke, and Georgetown.
The Education Department has announced that six out of the 52 institutions are currently under investigation for allegedly awarding “impermissible race-based scholarships.” Additionally, another university is suspected of having hosted a “program that segregates students based on race.”
The colleges involved in these investigations include the University of Alabama, the University of South Florida, and the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.