During World War II, the Voice of America was created to broadcast messages of freedom and democracy to a global audience. It was an anti-propaganda tool used to fight disinformation from the Axis powers.

Now the Trump administration is trying to gut it, putting the entire staff on leave.

But the VOA has not gone silent just yet. A federal judge has issued a temporary restraining order halting the administration’s efforts to dismantle the government-funded news service.

Geoffrey Cowan is the former director of the VOA and wrote a guest column for the LA Times warning against letting the VOA go radio silent. Cowan joined Lisa McRee on "LA Times Today."

Watch the full interview above.

Watch "LA Times Today" at 8 and 11 p.m. Monday through Friday on Spectrum News 1 and the Spectrum News app.