President Donald J. Trump on Thursday signed a sweeping executive order terminating all federal funding for National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), citing what the administration calls “longstanding and dangerous left-wing bias” in their programming.
The White House fact sheet outlines the order’s key mandates:
- Federal funding to NPR and PBS, both directly and indirectly, is to cease to the maximum extent allowed by law.
- The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) must revise its 2025 rules to eliminate all NPR and PBS funding.
- Federal agencies must terminate existing contracts and grants with NPR and PBS.
- The FCC and other regulators are instructed to investigate alleged discrimination and political partisanship within the two broadcasters.
“Today we are restoring fairness to taxpayers,” President Trump said. “It is completely unacceptable to force hardworking Americans to fund propaganda that actively works against their values.”
The fact sheet accuses both outlets of skewing news to favor Democrats, censoring stories of national importance—such as the Hunter Biden laptop saga—and pushing controversial narratives around gender, race, and COVID origins.
Among the examples cited:
- Editorial Imbalance: 87 registered Democrats in NPR’s editorial team, according to internal reporting.
- Content Bias: PBS’s flagship news show used “far-right” 162 times in six months, but “far-left” only 6 times.
- Cultural Controversies: PBS featured a drag performer on a show for young children and aired a documentary celebrating teen gender transition.
NPR and PBS Respond
In a sharp rebuttal, NPR President Katherine Maher released a statement defending NPR’s editorial integrity:
“We serve the American public across political divides and remain committed to independent journalism. This action appears to be politically motivated and aimed at silencing critical voices.”
PBS echoed that view in its own response:
“Public broadcasting supports underserved communities nationwide. Ending federal support threatens educational programming in rural America and beyond.”
Many observers expect legal challenges, particularly if the executive order conflicts with congressional appropriations to the CPB. Previous attempts to defund public broadcasting have faced bipartisan pushback, especially from lawmakers representing rural districts that rely on public media.
Background and Implications
The order aligns with broader moves by the Trump administration to slash funding for what it calls “woke institutions” and “bureaucratic bloat.” A newly formed “Department of Government Efficiency” has been tasked with auditing agencies and eliminating what the White House calls “politically driven waste.”
Whether this executive action can be fully enforced without congressional approval remains to be seen. However, the political messaging is unmistakable—Trump is framing the move as a stand against media bias and in favor of fiscal responsibility.
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