Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) admonished President Donald Trump for essentially dismantling Voice of America, a U.S. sponsored broadcaster targeting foreigners, because it would have helped support new protests in Iran.
Bacon made the remarks on X after right-wing think tanks called for regime change in Iran, a longtime right-wing goal.
"The regime's systemic repression and corruption is squarely to blame for the protests, and as Americans we should be cheering for military wing of the regime to flip, support the people, and help overthrow the Ayatollah's regime," Rebeccah Heinrichs of the Hudson Institute remarked.
Bacon responded by wishing Trump hadn't kneecapped Voice of America.
"This is when we need a strong Voice of America beaming information into Iran," the Nebraska Republican wrote. "Some in the Administration underestimate the value that VOA brings, but now it is an important tool for the President and our national security team. Information is an instrument of power."
Last year, Trump installed senior adviser Kari Lake to put VOA on the chopping block. She told Congress that there should be no more than two journalists serving Iran.