In a bold and highly controversial move, President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday to eliminate federal funding for PBS and NPR, accusing the iconic public broadcasters of using taxpayer dollars to “spread radical, woke propaganda” under the guise of journalism. The order not only cuts direct financial support, but also instructs federal agencies to root out indirect funding channels that help sustain the two networks.
This is not the first time Trump has taken aim at public broadcasting, but this latest move marks a decisive escalation. In the official announcement posted on X, the White House stated:
“[President Trump] just signed an executive order ENDING the taxpayer subsidization of NPR and PBS — which receive millions from taxpayers to spread radical, woke propaganda disguised as ‘news.’”
The order directly targets the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) — the non-profit organization that channels nearly $500 million annually in federal funds to local public radio and TV stations. Trump’s directive not only halts this funding but also aims to undermine CPB’s structural capacity, effectively dismantling its influence.
🚨 BREAKING: @POTUS just signed an executive order ENDING the taxpayer subsidization of NPR and PBS — which receive millions from taxpayers to spread radical, woke propaganda disguised as “news.”
Here is the text of the order:
By the authority vested in me as President by the…
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) May 2, 2025
The response was immediate and fierce. PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger called the executive order “blatantly unlawful,” warning that it threatens decades of public service to American communities — particularly children, low-income households, and rural regions that rely on public media access.
“There’s nothing more American than PBS,” Kerger said, emphasizing the organization’s bipartisan legacy and its foundational role in childhood education and civic engagement.
NPR, meanwhile, pushed back on the characterization of its programming, defending its editorial independence and role as a public service outlet:
“Millions of Americans depend on NPR Member stations for rigorous, fact-based, public service journalism,” a spokesperson said, adding that federal funding remains vital for smaller stations that cannot survive on private donations alone.
This crackdown isn’t isolated. Trump’s administration has also moved to dismantle the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which oversees Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty — outlets that serve as democratic media models in restrictive regimes. Federal courts have already challenged some of these actions, ruling in several cases that the administration may have overstepped its authority by blocking funds that were appropriated by Congress.
Adding more fuel to the fire, the CPB has already filed a lawsuit against the administration, claiming that Trump’s decision to fire three of its board members without cause violates statutory governance rules and threatens to deprive the board of the quorum needed to function.
