Kari Lake, acting CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, told Newsmax on Thursday that Americans should no longer subsidize programming that criticizes a NATO ally.
On "Rob Schmitt Tonight," she explained the agency's decision to stop funding Szabad Europa, the Hungarian-language service at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL).
"The American taxpayer is footing the bill for millions of dollars to do a kind of a radio that's meant to not just disparage the Hungarian people but what's happening in Hungary, the nationalist movement there," Lake said.
Szabad Europa was added to RFE/RL's programming in 2020.
"It's really meant to destabilize that country," Lake added.
"American taxpayer dollars should not go toward a globalist radio program. It's a NATO ally, and the globalists hate [Hungarian Prime Minister] Viktor Orban."
In a letter to congressional appropriators, Lake said the programming has undermined President Donald Trump's foreign policy by opposing and criticizing Orban.
"The American people shouldn't be footing the bill for globalist EU [European Union] radio programming, meant to tear down one of our NATO allies," she said.
In her letter to Congress, Lake said the U.S. Agency for Global Media will work to ensure that U.S. taxpayer dollars are not financing criticisms of American allies abroad.
As part of that effort, the agency will end the use of federal money to develop or distribute content targeting NATO partners.
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Sam Barron ✉
Sam Barron has almost two decades of experience covering a wide range of topics including politics, crime and business.
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