WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday aimed at significantly reducing federal subsidies for PBS and NPR, accusing the broadcasters of exhibiting “bias” in their reporting.
The directive calls for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and other federal bodies to halt financial support for NPR and PBS. Furthermore, it asks these agencies to identify indirect public funding sources associated with these media organizations. The White House announcement on social media stated that these broadcasters use taxpayer money “to spread radical, woke propaganda under the guise of news.”
This action marks the latest effort by Trump and his administration to exercise federal authority to intervene in institutions whose perspectives or actions conflict with his own. Since assuming office, Trump has been proactive in removing leaders, placing administrative holds on staff, and withdrawing substantial public funding from artistic and cultural bodies, including the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Moreover, he has endeavored to withhold federal research and educational funds from universities, demanding the elimination of diversity programs and initiatives he finds disagreeable.
Approximately half a billion dollars annually are funneled to the broadcasters through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. In anticipation of potential reductions since Trump’s rise to power, the broadcasters had been bracing themselves, given the longstanding Republican criticism. PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger previously stated that Trump’s attempt to cut funding to public media could “disrupt the essential service PBS and local member stations provide to the American people.”
“There’s nothing more American than PBS,” Kerger declared. “Our work is only feasible thanks to the bipartisan support we’ve consistently received from Congress. This public-private partnership enables us to prepare millions of children for success both in school and beyond, while also delivering enriching programs of the highest quality.”
Earlier in the week, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting initiated legal proceedings against Trump for dismissing three of its five-member board. They argue that the president overstepped his bounds and the move compromised the board’s ability to maintain a necessary quorum for conducting business.
In a related development, the White House announced a plan to request Congress to revoke funding for the CPB as part of a proposed $9.1 billion cutback. White House Budget Director Russell Vought indicated this proposal would likely be the first of several, though it hasn’t yet reached Capitol Hill.
This stance against PBS and NPR accompanies the administration’s efforts to dismantle the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which includes internationally focused platforms such as Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. These institutions were established to model independent journalism in nations with restricted media environments. The administration’s attempts have met with resistance from federal courts, which have on occasion ruled that the government’s actions may have exceeded its constitutionally sanctioned powers, especially in withholding funds duly allocated by Congress.