President Donald Trump has nominated Kari Lake, a longtime ally and former television anchor who ran unsuccessfully for Arizona governor, to serve as the next US ambassador to Jamaica. If confirmed by the Senate, the appointment would end Lake's tenure as the key official responsible for Voice of America (VOA), the global media organization founded in 1942.
Background on Lake's Role at USAGM
In 2024, Trump appointed Lake to lead the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees VOA, following her unsuccessful Senate and gubernatorial campaigns in Arizona. Under a presidential executive order, she moved to fire hundreds of VOA employees and cut funding for other news organizations. However, staffers challenged those actions, and in March a federal judge ruled that Lake had been unlawfully serving as head of USAGM because she had not been confirmed by the Senate. The judge voided her actions at the agency, including the mass layoffs.
Lake's Response to Nomination
After the White House announcement on Monday, Lake thanked Trump in a social media post, stating: "Jamaica is a country I know very well, full of incredible people, and if confirmed by the Senate, I look forward to strengthening the partnership between our nations, advancing America's interests abroad, and building on the deep friendship shared by the American and Jamaican people." She added, "Honored to continue serving in this HISTORIC Administration!" In a second statement, she said she had spoken with Trump and was "incredibly grateful for his support, encouragement, and TRUST." She also defended her time overseeing VOA, saying she is "proud of the work we've accomplished at USAGM" including "bringing much-needed reform to the agency," and noted she would continue to work there during the Senate confirmation process.
Lake's Political Career
Lake spent more than two decades as a television anchor at a local Fox News affiliate in Phoenix before entering politics. She ran for Arizona governor as a Republican in 2021 but lost to Democrat Katie Hobbs. Refusing to accept the result, she challenged the election, but a state judge rejected her claims. She later ran unsuccessfully for the US Senate in Arizona in 2024.
Reaction from USAGM Officials
In an interview with the New York Times, Kate Neeper, a USAGM director who was placed on paid leave in 2025 and joined litigation challenging the dismantling of VOA, said she viewed Lake's new nomination as a sign that VOA journalists and support staff had prevailed against the administration's efforts. "This is a concession to that victory," Neeper said. "Kari Lake was not able to dismantle the agency for lots of reasons, so they've decided to have her do something else."
