Unity or Surrender? The GOP’s Multi-Million Dollar “Oops”
Donald Trump wanted it dead. He issued the executive order. He called it a biased, anti-Republican mouthpiece. Yet, here we are in 2026, and the Republicans just handed the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) a staggering $643,000,000. While the GOP claims they are “playing the long game,” the optics are a disaster. They’ve effectively funded the very machine that Trump spent years trying to dismantle.
The excuse? A “razor-thin majority.” Because of a two-seat margin in the House, leaders like Rep. Clay Higgins are basically telling us they had to swallow this poison pill to avoid a government shutdown. Since when did “Making America Great Again” involve subsidizing the Voice of America—an agency the President himself says doesn’t serve domestic interests? This isn’t winning; it’s paying for your own execution.
The Controversy Everyone is Ignoring
Everyone is talking about “unity,” but nobody is talking about the Kari Lake factor. Lake is inside the agency as a senior advisor, reportedly trying to “right the ship.” But here is the BS: The GOP is using Lake’s presence as a shield to justify spending over half a billion dollars of taxpayer money. They are betting that one woman can fix an entire bureaucratic monster while they continue to pump it full of cash. If she fails, the GOP hasn’t just lost a battle; they’ve funded the enemy for another year.
The “Dirty History” of the USAGM
The USAGM isn’t just some boring radio station. Under the previous administration, it was accused of being a “haven for anti-Trump rhetoric” and a waste of federal resources. Trump tried to fire the leadership; the courts blocked him. Trump tried to pull the plug; the GOP just plugged it back in. This agency has survived every attempt at accountability, and now, even with a Republican-controlled Congress, it’s still cashing checks.
The Cold Hard Truth from the Insiders
“We don’t have the luxury of casually opposing our own bills,” says Rep. Clay Higgins. Translation? The GOP is terrified. Between the retirement of Marjorie Taylor Greene and the sudden death of Doug LaMalfa, the House majority is on life support. The “insider truth” is that the Democrats didn’t even have to fight hard for this. They knew the Republicans were too scared of a shutdown to actually stand by Trump’s executive orders. The GOP didn’t choose unity; they chose the path of least resistance.
