Kari Lake Disputes Atlantic's 'Bogus Hit Piece' on Her USAGM Leadership

Lake says the Atlantic intentionally misrepresented her statements and ignored her refutations of the article's claims

Published on Feb. 22, 2026

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The far-left Atlantic published a critical article accusing Kari Lake, the head of the United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM), of mismanagement and self-promotion. However, Lake has disputed the article's claims, saying the Atlantic selectively edited her responses to their questions and ignored her refutations of the article's allegations, including about the agency's spending under her leadership.

Why it matters

This dispute highlights the ongoing tensions between conservative and liberal media outlets, as well as the challenges facing government agencies like USAGM in navigating partisan politics. The article's accusations, if true, could undermine public trust in USAGM's ability to provide reliable, unbiased news to the world. Lake's rebuttal suggests the article may have been a politically motivated 'hit piece'.

The details

The Atlantic article claimed Lake 'wasted millions of dollars' and 'ceded influence to Chinese and Russian state media' during her tenure at USAGM. However, Lake says the Atlantic intentionally misrepresented her statements in response to these allegations. She provided the Gateway Pundit with her full responses to the Atlantic's questions, which she says refute the article's claims about wasteful spending. For example, Lake says she terminated 85% of USAGM's federal employees and consolidated the agency's offices, saving taxpayers over $225 million. She also disputes the article's claim about a $16 million lease termination fee, calling it a 'pipe dream'.

  • On February 4, 2026, Lake provided the Atlantic with her responses to their questions about the agency's spending and other issues.
  • The Atlantic article was published on February 18, 2026, a full week after Lake had submitted her responses.

The players

Kari Lake

The head of the United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM), who is disputing the Atlantic's claims about her leadership of the agency.

Anne Applebaum

The author of the Atlantic article criticizing Lake's management of USAGM.

Yvonne Wingett Sanchez

The Atlantic reporter who co-authored the article on Lake and USAGM.

Yvonne Kim

The Atlantic associate editor who corresponded with Lake about the article.

Alex Nicoll

A spokesman for Kari Lake who responded to the Atlantic's article.

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What they’re saying

“I disputed EVERYTHING the deep-state clown @anneapplebaum wrote. She just chose not to use my responses because my responses destroyed her BS fake-news narrative.”

— Kari Lake (Twitter)

“Kari Lake has not disputed any of the numbers cited in our article”

— Anne Applebaum, Author of Atlantic article (Twitter)

“ALL three were explicitly disputed on record. You just REFUSED to print her responses. Are you dishonest, blind, or just stupid?”

— Alex Nicoll, Spokesman for Kari Lake (Twitter)

What’s next

Lake says she plans to continue her efforts to reform and modernize USAGM, despite the Atlantic's criticism. The agency may also face further scrutiny and potential legal action over the disputed lease termination costs.

The takeaway

This dispute highlights the partisan divide in media coverage of government agencies and officials. It underscores the importance of transparency and fact-checking, as well as the need for government agencies to maintain public trust through responsible stewardship of taxpayer resources.