American billionaire Elon Musk has unexpectedly called for the closure of two media outlets, believing that they are wasting taxpayer money.
Musk shared a comment from Richard Grenell, the U.S. Special Envoy for Special Missions, on February 9th, in which Grenell stated: “Radio Free Europe and Voice of America are taxpayer-funded media outlets… I have worked with these journalists for decades. They are relics of the past.” He also expressed that Americans no longer need these media organizations and that it is time to shut them down.
In response to Grenell’s comment, Musk agreed, stating: “Yes, they should be closed.” He provided several reasons for his stance, saying: “1. Europe is now free (aside from the suffocating bureaucracy). Hello?? 2. No one listens to them anymore. 3. Only extreme leftists talk to themselves while burning $1 billion a year of American taxpayer money,” the billionaire mentioned in his post.
As the head of DOGE, Musk has criticized federal payments to media organizations such as Politico, the Associated Press, and The New York Times, viewing them as ineffective uses of taxpayer funds and advocating for their elimination.
Similarly, Grenell, as Trump’s envoy, has publicly condemned government spending on media subscriptions and agreed with Musk that such funding should be terminated immediately.
These calls come amid increased scrutiny and controversy surrounding government-funded media, with the Trump administration taking steps to halt subscriptions to channels like Politico.
On February 8th, President Trump confirmed during a press conference that he had directed Elon Musk to examine “almost everything,” including spending for the Pentagon and education in the U.S. According to the President, some findings will be quite alarming.
However, a federal judge has blocked Musk’s Government Efficiency Office from accessing sensitive personal data in the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s records, specifically denying access to Social Security numbers and bank account information.
Voice of America (VOA) is a U.S. broadcasting organization based in Washington, D.C., broadcasting in 47 languages and reaching an audience of 278 million weekly. It was founded by the U.S. federal government.