‘A sense of betrayal’: Trump’s Voice of America cuts sent veteran journalists from international newsrooms to working at Trader Joe’s

Take Danila Galperovich, for example. When Trump took office for his second term, Galperovich was a reporter for Voice of America (VOA), which calls itself a “U.S. government-run broadcaster tasked with bringing free, fair and impartial journalism into countries where that’s either hard to come by or a dangerous act of resistance.”

Voice of America, which operates under the USAGM’s umbrella, was declared a “foreign agent” by Russia back in 2017, when Galperovich and his wife fled that country and eventually settled in the U.S.

At its founding in 1942, VOA served as a counter to Nazi propaganda by broadcasting accurate and legitimate news into occupied European countries.

“It became a crucial diplomatic tool during the Cold War along with sister organization Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, often the only news sources to break through the Iron Curtain,” the Washington Post reports. “In recent years, it has remained important as a news source for less-free countries, and as an important tool for helping other countries understand the United States.”

When Trump signed his executive order, Galperovich’s employment with VOA was immediately terminated without severance. Struggling to find similar work, he eventually landed on his feet. But instead of reporting the news, Galperovich now works at a local Trader Joe’s, a position that he loves despite the much smaller paychecks.

The laid-off journalist isn’t alone

Unfortunately, Galperovich isn’t the only former VOA employee who had to scramble for work after Trump’s executive order terminated their employment.

Ksenia Turkova, who was once a reporter and TV host at NTV in Moscow, never struggled to find work and always seemed to have the next opportunity lined up. But things changed when she lost her job with VOA. As she looked for her next opportunity, Turkova accepted a barista job at Sweet Lemon, a cafe located on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

She left that job after less than a year. Now, Turkova is a Ukrainian medical interpreter at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center who helps wounded soldiers with their treatment via a nonprofit called United Help Ukraine.

“I did have a sense of betrayal,” Turkova said of her VOA employment, according to the Post.

And then there’s Valdya Baraputrim, a former journalist who now works as a communications specialist at a coffee shop called Dua DC. Her final live broadcast for VOA was on March 14, 2025, just a few hours before Trump announced the executive order.

Baraputrim was briefly reassigned to VOA’s Afghan service, where she was cutting video in both Pashto and Dari, two languages that she does not speak. At the end of July, Baraputrim was informed that her contract had been terminated.

“I know we shouldn’t tie our identity with what we do, with our job, but it was me,” Baraputrim shared with the Post.

‘VOA is doomed for sure’

While many VOA employees were forced into unemployment by the Trump administration, Margaret Besheer didn’t wait for an executive order to upend her career.