US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that aims to make major cuts to seven federal agencies - including the United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees Radio Free Europe and other federal broadcasters.

The order, signed in the late hours of March 14, also targets agencies dealing with homelessness, labor disputes and community development.

"Within seven days of the date of this order, the head of each government entity listed [in the order] shall submit a report to the director of the Office of Management and Budget to confirm full implementation of this decision and to clarify which components or functions of the government entities - if any - are required by law and to what extent," the order states, REL reports.

A few hours after its publication, the media published a letter from USAGM, stating that the grant approved by Congress to fund Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty had been terminated.

The letter was signed by Kari Lake, who signed herself as senior advisor to the acting chief executive of USAGM, with delegated authority from him.

Lake has been nominated by Trump to take over as head of Voice of America, but her appointment must be approved by the International Broadcasting Advisory Board.

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's president and chief executive, Stephen Capus, said canceling the grant agreement would be "a massive gift to America's enemies."

"Iranian ayatollahs, Chinese communist leaders, and autocrats in Moscow and Minsk would celebrate the destruction of Radio Free Europe after 75 years. Giving our adversaries a victory would make them stronger and America weaker," Capus said in a statement, KosovaPress reports.

"We have benefited from strong bipartisan support throughout Radio Free Europe's history. Without us, nearly 50 million people in closed societies who depend on us for accurate news and information every week will not have access to the truth about America and the world," Capus added.

The Committee to Protect Journalists urged US Congressional leaders to protect USAGM from Trump's order.

"It is outrageous that the White House is trying to shut down a congressionally funded agency that supports independent journalism that challenges the narratives of authoritarian regimes around the world," said Carlos Martinez de la Serna, program director for the Committee to Protect Journalists, in a statement.

"We call on Congressional leaders to protect this important agency, which provides uncensored news in countries where the press is restricted," he added.

The US Agency for Global Media is an independent government agency that oversees media that broadcasts in nearly 50 languages ​​and reaches 361 million people on a weekly basis.

The budget requested by this agency for fiscal year 2025 was $950 million to fund all operations and capital investments.

These include the following media: Radio Free Europe, Voice of America, Radio Free Asia, Cuba Office (Radio Marti), Middle East Broadcasting Network, and the Open Technology Fund.

During his first term, Trump - who has made a series of decisions to reduce government spending since he began his second term in January - criticized USAGM regarding its editorial independence and the direction given to its programs.

He has repeated these concerns even after starting his second term, KosovaPress reports.

Supporters of the broadcasters, on the other hand, believe they are an important tool of American diplomacy.

In addition to USAGM, the order also targets the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, the Woodrow Wilson International Research Center at the Smithsonian Institution, the Institute for Museum and Library Services, the United States Interagency Council on the Homeless, the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, and the Minority Business Development Agency.