Kari Lake Blocks Radio Free Europe from Using U.S. Transmitter in Kuwait to Broadcast into Iran: Report

AP Photo/Alex Brandon

Decide defy the media too fast
Instead of pushing palaces to fall
Put that, put that, put that up your wall
That this isn’t fortunate at all
Radio station decide yourself

We’re calling out in transit
Calling out in transit
Radio Free Europe (Radio)

– “Radio Free Europe,” by R.E.M.

US Agency for Global Media senior advisor Kari Lake has blocked Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty from broadcasting into Iran using a USAGM transmitter located in Kuwait, reported Oliver Darcy in his Status newsletter.

Lake narrowly lost the 2022 Arizona governor’s race to Democrat Katie Hobbs, and since then has paired her support for former President Donald Trump’s baseless claims of fraud in the 2020 election with her own unfounded accusations that her election was stolen from her as well. In reality, a post-election analysis showed that Lake lost in large part because tens of thousands of Arizonans cast votes for other Republicans but not her. After she lost the 2024 Arizona Senate race to Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Lake vowed she wouldn’t run for office again, but she wasn’t done with politics; her unwavering loyalty to Trump scored her an appointment to serve as the senior advisor for USAGM. (Lake has identified herself as the “acting CEO” of USAGM, but the legal status of that title is under dispute.)

Her tenure heading the federal agency responsible for broadcast networks that have long targeted areas of the world with restrictions on press freedom has been heavily criticized by free speech and democracy advocates, as she has presided over massive staff cuts and other efforts to eliminate or drastically reduce USAGM programs.

The ongoing protests in Iran have been escalating over recent weeks, and Trump himself has voiced strong support for the Iranian people protesting against the authoritarian regime, even going so far as to openly threaten U.S. military action.

But according to Darcy’s report, Lake’s agency didn’t take a simple and easy opportunity to provide helpful communications support to the Iranian protesters.

“Kari Lake has blocked Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty from using a USAGM transmitter in Kuwait to broadcast news and protest updates into Iran amid the Islamic Republic’s government-induced internet blackout,” wrote Darcy, highlighting that this was contrary to Trump’s public statements of support for the protesters and it was “not entirely clear” why Lake had done this.

On Saturday, RFE/RL announced its Persian-language service Radio Farda was “working with several commercial vendors” to “provid[e] an alternative to state-controlled media” through its digital platforms — “notably…not the USAGM,” noted Darcy.

Darcy further reported that RFE/RL had made multiple requests to USAGM to ” gain access to the powerful transmitter” in Kuwait to communicate with the Iranian people.

“USAGM is working to increase its broadcasting message into Iran during this critical time in a number of ways. We are working in close coordination with RFE/RL to ensure consistency of message,” Lake said in a statement a USAGM spokesperson provided to Darcy, but offered no response when Darcy asked if that “coordination” would include allowing access to the Kuwait transmitter.

“Whether it’s music or a free press — censorship anywhere is a threat to the truth everywhere,” said R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe when the band issued a 2025 remix of Radio Free Europe on a 5-track EP with proceeds to benefit RFE/RL. “Radio Free Europe’s journalists have been pissing off dictators for 75 years. You know you’re doing your job when you make the right enemies.”