Trump picks Kari Lake as Voice of America director

The immigration hardliner has echoed Trump’s criticism of ‘fake news’ and has never acknowledged her defeat in race to be governor of Arizona

President-elect Donald Trump has picked Kari Lake as director of Voice of America, installing a staunch loyalist and immigration hardliner to head the congressionally funded broadcaster that provides independent news reporting around the world.

Lake, who ran unsuccessfully for Arizona governor and a Senate seat, was a television news anchor in Phoenix for nearly three decades until she left in 2021 after making a series of controversial statements on social media, including sharing Covid-19 misinformation during the pandemic.