Trump issued a late-night executive order Thursday aimed at stripping federal funding from NPR and PBS, accusing the public broadcasters of failing to offer “a fair, accurate or unbiased portrayal of current events.” The order directs the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to “cancel existing direct funding to the maximum extent allowed by law.”
The executive move, which appears to stretch presidential authority, was met with swift pushback from both the CPB and the broadcasters. Paula Kerger, President and CEO of PBS, called it a “blatantly unlawful Executive Order,” while the CPB itself emphasized that it is not under the control of the executive branch. NPR Senior VP Heather Walls called the order “an affront to the First Amendment,” vowing to fight it in court.
While Trump claimed the move was about “celebrating victories” and restoring media trust, critics argue the order is political retaliation against outlets his supporters have long accused of liberal bias. Trump’s post on Truth Social urged Republicans to “DEFUND AND TOTALLY DISASSOCIATE” from the networks, calling NPR and PBS “RADICAL LEFT MONSTERS.”
The CPB, created by Congress in 1967 to shield public broadcasting from political interference, reiterated its independence and pointed to laws specifically barring the federal government from controlling its programming or distribution of funds. The agency noted that it is funded through September 2027 with a $535 million budget—allocated directly by Congress, not the White House.
Trump’s order also conflicts with a lawsuit already filed by the CPB, which is challenging his attempt to remove three board members. If successful, the firings would leave the board without the quorum necessary to take formal action—including defunding PBS or NPR.
Trump’s push comes amid a broader culture war and echoes similar threats he made during his first term. This latest escalation includes an investigation by Trump’s FCC appointee Brendan Carr, who argues that NPR and PBS may violate non-commercial status rules through corporate underwriter messages.
NPR receives roughly 1% of its funding directly from the federal government, though local stations get closer to 10% on average. PBS and its member stations rely more heavily on federal funds, with approximately 15% of their operating revenue coming from CPB.
Both NPR and PBS stressed their critical role in reaching underserved communities, particularly in emergency response and educational programming.
