| Published May 2, 2025
In a stunning new development, President Trump has signed a sweeping executive order defunding National Public Radio (NPR) and Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), the Democrats’ taxpayer-funded leftist propaganda machines.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled “Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Biased Media,” directing the termination of federal funding for National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). The order instructs the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and other federal agencies to cease both direct and indirect funding to these organizations, citing concerns over alleged partisan bias and the proliferation of alternative media sources.
Full executive order below:
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:
Section 1. Purpose. National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) receive taxpayer funds through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). Unlike in 1967, when the CPB was established, today the media landscape is filled with abundant, diverse, and innovative news options. Government funding of news media in this environment is not only outdated and unnecessary but corrosive to the appearance of journalistic independence.
At the very least, Americans have the right to expect that if their tax dollars fund public broadcasting at all, they fund only fair, accurate, unbiased, and nonpartisan news coverage. No media outlet has a constitutional right to taxpayer subsidies, and the Government is entitled to determine which categories of activities to subsidize. The CPB’s governing statute reflects principles of impartiality: the CPB may not “contribute to or otherwise support any political party.” 47 U.S.C. 396(f)(3); see also id. 396(e)(2).
The CPB fails to abide by these principles to the extent it subsidizes NPR and PBS. Which viewpoints NPR and PBS promote does not matter. What does matter is that neither entity presents a fair, accurate, or unbiased portrayal of current events to taxpaying citizens.
I therefore instruct the CPB Board of Directors (CPB Board) and all executive departments and agencies (agencies) to cease Federal funding for NPR and PBS.Sec. 2. Instructions to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. (a) The CPB Board shall cease direct funding to NPR and PBS, consistent with my Administration’s policy to ensure that Federal funding does not support biased and partisan news coverage. The CPB Board shall cancel existing direct funding to the maximum extent allowed by law and shall decline to provide future funding.
(b) The CPB Board shall cease indirect funding to NPR and PBS, including by ensuring that licensees and permittees of public radio and television stations, as well as any other recipients of CPB funds, do not use Federal funds for NPR and PBS. To effectuate this directive, the CPB Board shall, before June 30, 2025, revise the 2025 Television Community Service Grants General Provisions and Eligibility Criteria and the 2025 Radio Community Service Grants General Provisions and Eligibility Criteria to prohibit direct or indirect funding of NPR and PBS. To the extent permitted by the 2024 Television Community Service Grants General Provisions and Eligibility Criteria, the 2024 Radio Community Service Grants General Provisions and Eligibility Criteria, and applicable law, the CPB Board shall also prohibit parties subject to these provisions from funding NPR or PBS after the date of this order. In addition, the CPB Board shall take all other necessary steps to minimize or eliminate its indirect funding of NPR and PBS.
Sec. 3. Instructions to Other Agencies. (a) The heads of all agencies shall identify and terminate, to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law, any direct or indirect funding of NPR and PBS.
(b) After taking the actions specified in subsection (a) of this section, the heads of all agencies shall identify any remaining grants, contracts, or other funding instruments entered into with NPR or PBS and shall determine whether NPR and PBS are in compliance with the terms of those instruments. In the event of a finding of noncompliance, the head of the relevant agency shall take appropriate steps under the terms of the instrument.
(c) The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall determine whether “the Public Broadcasting Service and National Public Radio (or any successor organization)” are complying with the statutory mandate that “no person shall be subjected to discrimination in employment . . . on the grounds of race, color, religion, national origin, or sex.” 47 U.S.C. 397(15), 398(b). In the event of a finding of noncompliance, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall take appropriate corrective action.
Key Points:
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Funding Impact: The CPB, which receives over $500 million annually from Congress, provides approximately 15% of PBS’s and 1% of NPR’s budgets. While the cuts may not cripple the national organizations, they could significantly affect local member stations, especially in rural areas where federal support is more critical.
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Legal Challenges: The CPB has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, contesting the dismissal of three of its five board members, arguing that the action undermines its operational capacity.
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Broader Context: This move aligns with the Trump administration’s broader efforts to reshape federal support for cultural and media institutions, including previous attempts to defund the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Kennedy Center.
Reactions:
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Supporters’ Viewpoint: Proponents argue that the federal government should not fund media organizations perceived as biased, asserting that taxpayer money should not support content that does not reflect a broad spectrum of viewpoints.
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Critics’ Concerns: Opponents contend that the cuts threaten the viability of public media, particularly in underserved areas, and view the action as an attempt to suppress independent journalism. They also express concern over potential violations of the First Amendment and the precedent it sets for government interference in the press.
The executive order is expected to face legal scrutiny and political debate in the coming weeks.
President Trump’s executive order to defund NPR and PBS carries several significant and largely positive implications:
1. Ending Government Support for Ideologically Biased Media
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Bias and Accountability: Many conservatives have long viewed NPR and PBS as left-leaning institutions funded by taxpayer dollars. Defunding them is seen as a step toward ending what they consider unfair government sponsorship of media that doesn’t represent all political perspectives.
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Market-Driven Media: Conservatives often favor free-market solutions over government subsidies. Cutting public funds encourages media outlets to compete fairly in the marketplace without relying on taxpayer handouts.
2. Protecting Taxpayer Dollars
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Fiscal Responsibility: Redirecting or cutting funds from public broadcasting is viewed as reducing government waste. Conservatives see this as aligning with principles of smaller government and responsible budgeting, especially if they believe those funds were going to partisan messaging.
3. Cultural and Institutional Reset
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Challenging Liberal Institutions: Defunding NPR and PBS fits into a broader conservative movement to challenge and reform institutions they see as dominated by progressive elites — from universities to media to federal agencies.
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Precedent for Further Reform: This move sets a precedent for future Republican administrations to take bold steps in reevaluating the funding of other public entities seen as ideologically one-sided.
4. Defending Free Speech Through Non-Subsidization
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No Government-Funded Narratives: Some conservatives argue that the government should not be in the business of subsidizing any media outlet, left or right. True freedom of the press, in this view, means standing on your own — not receiving federal dollars.
5. Election-Year Messaging
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Red Meat for the Base: This executive order sends a clear message to conservative voters: Trump is willing to take action against institutions they believe have ignored or vilified them.
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Symbol of Draining the Swamp: For many, it’s another example of Trump taking on the so-called “deep state” or entrenched elites.
Overall Takeaway:
President Trump’s executive order to defund NPR and PBS is a decisive move to stop taxpayer dollars from supporting media outlets conservatives view as politically biased and out of touch with everyday Americans. It reflects a broader push for limited government, fiscal responsibility, and media accountability — sending a clear message that public institutions must serve all citizens, not just elite or progressive interests. To many on the right, it’s a long-overdue step toward fairness, free-market media, and draining the swamp.
SOURCES: THE GATEWAY PUNDIT – President Trump Signs “Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Biased Media” Executive Order to Defund NPR and PBS
THE NEW YORK POST – Trump terminates NPR, PBS federal funding with sweeping executive order
REUTERS – Trump signs order that aims to cut funding to NPR, PBS
AP NEWS – Trump signs executive order directing federal funding cuts to PBS and NPR
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