WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump said Wednesday he is choosing Kari Lake as director of Voice of America, installing a staunch loyalist who ran unsuccessfully for Arizona governor and a Senate seat. to lead the congressionally funded broadcaster that provides independent news reporting. the world.
Lake, an immigration hardliner, was a television news anchor in Phoenix for nearly three decades until she left in 2021 after making a series of controversial statements on social media, including sharing misinformation about COVID-19 during the pandemic. She launched her political career a short time later and quickly built a loyal following and national profile as she sparred with reporters and echoed Trump in her sharp criticism of what she called “fake news.”
She endeared herself to Trump through her dogmatic commitment to the falsehood that both she and Trump were victims of election fraud. She has never acknowledged her defeat in the 2022 governor’s race and lost her Senate race last month by an even larger margin. Trump considered her his vice presidential running mate before deciding on JD Vance.
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Trump has been a fierce critic of Voice of America in the past, saying in 2020 that “the things they are saying are disgusting to our country.”
The broadcaster faced additional criticism during Trump’s first term for its coverage of the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, with a White House publication accusing it of using taxpayer money “to speak for authoritarian regimes” as it covered the removal of the lockdown in the Chinese city. from Wuhan, where the virus first emerged.
VOA was founded during World War II and congressional statutes require it to present independent news and information to an international audience. It responded to Trump’s criticism by defending his reporting.
Upon taking office in January 2021, President Joe Biden’s administration quickly removed a number of senior officials linked to Trump from VOA and associated positions.
Also Wednesday, Trump announced Leandro Rizzuto as his choice to become U.S. ambassador to the Washington-based Organization of American States, saying he wanted Florida personal injury lawyer Dan Newlin to become his administration’s ambassador to Colombia.
He also chose Peter Lamelas, a physician and founder of one of Florida’s largest emergency care companies, as U.S. ambassador to Argentina. Lamelas is also a major donor to the past campaigns of Trump and other top Republicans.
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Cooper reported from Phoenix.
