Trump Orders Defunding Of U.S. Public Media, Including PBS And NPR

On Thursday, May 1, the White House announced that U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order to cut funding for public news outlets NPR and PBS. The executive order instructs the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to cease providing direct funding to these organizations.

“The CPB Board shall cancel existing direct funding to the maximum extent allowed by law and shall decline to provide future funding,” the order says

The White House statement described NPR and PBS as “partisan and biased,” aligning with the Trump administration’s broader stance against certain institutions in the media and academia that it views as left-wing. The order not only halts direct funding but also cuts indirect payments from other public media entities.

“NPR and PBS have fueled partisanship and left-wing propaganda with taxpayer dollars, which is highly inappropriate and an improper use of taxpayers’ money, as President Trump has stated.”

This move has sparked concerns among human rights advocates, who have raised alarms about the potential implications for free speech and the broader principles of academic and press freedom. The administration has previously targeted various organizations, including universities and media outlets, with similar claims of bias, threatening funding cuts as a form of retaliation.