Trump Cuts Federal Funding to PBS & NPR in Late-Night Executive Order
President Donald Trump has followed through on his promise to slash federal funding to NPR and PBS in a sweeping executive order signed late Thursday night (May 1).
NPR and PBS have long been targets of Trump, who referred to the networks as spreaders of “radical woke propaganda disguised as ‘news,'” who “receive millions from taxpayers.” Both networks receive partial funding through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which the President has now demanded to be stopped.
“Government funding of news media in this environment is not only outdated and unnecessary but corrosive to the appearance of journalistic independence,” Trump wrote in the order, per the New York Post.
He continued, “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.”
PBS, which airs much-loved shows including All Creatures Great and Small, Call the Midwife, Finding Your Roots, Grantchester, and NPR, have long faced criticism from Trump, who claims the networks are biased in their programming.
In March, Trump took to Truth Social, ranting, “NPR and PBS, two horrible and completely biased platforms (Networks!), should be DEFUNDED by Congress, IMMEDIATELY. Republicans, don’t miss this opportunity to rid our Country of this giant SCAM, both being arms of the Radical Left Democrat Party. JUST SAY NO AND, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!”
Trump’s latest executive order also urged the CPB to cut 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.”
He has given the CPB until June 30 to deliver on these orders.
NPR and PBS receive funding through various avenues. According to The Wrap, the media outlets receive approximately half a billion dollars in public funding, which amounts to a small fraction of total funding.
For example, 36% of NPR’s funding comes from corporate sponsorships, while 30% comes via fees paid by local public stations for access to NPR programming. Public funds received directly from the U.S. government amount to less than 1%.
The executive order comes after March’s special congressional hearing, held by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA)’s DOGE Subcommittee to interrogate PBS and NPR executives over claims of bias against the Republican party.
At the hearing, Paula Kerger, president and CEO of PBS, defended the network’s output, saying, “PBS stations provide something that cannot be found on commercial networks. This is because PBS stations are focused on the needs and interests of the viewers they serve, especially in rural areas.”
PBS launched on October 5, 1970, as a free-to-air network and is best known for its educational programs, including Sesame Street, Magic School Bus, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, Reading Rainbow, and more. The network also hosts several news programs, including Frontline, PBS NewsHour, and Firing Line.
According to a report from Pew Research Center in March, only 24 per cent of Americans support cutting funding.
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The man is shameless.
Actually, trump is like these annoying spammers that are proliferating on this site. Both are supremely annoying and spammy and perpetrating FRAUD.
But the orange man is even worse.... he's materially harming this country and the citizens he's supposed to protect and represent.
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You mean Spammers like You ? I know you want to hear Trump bashing only. I understand. Don’t worry this site is heavily slanted to Lib. But You want it All Lib I get it.
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The orange idiot strikes again. PBS presents wonderful programming for adults and children.
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"Woke" means awake and aware-- Trump prefers an electorate that's asleep and misguided.
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Sure, Right. Thats why Biden was nicknamed Sleepy Joe. The only time he was awake and aware is when someone came in with an ice cream cone !! 🤣
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Call him whatever you want. He wasn't a rapist, he didn't block free speech and the economy has 30 straight months of growth. Now..... economic collapse. Trump is a fraud and a criminal
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1)President Trump is Not a racist and never has been. It was BIDEN that said “Your not Black if you don’t vote for me”. 2) President Trump has Never “blocked” Free Speech as You falsely claim, He can’t. 3) 30 straight months growth maybe on another planet or alternate universe but not Here in the USA 4) Just because You say President Trump is a fraud doesn’t make it so 5) A Kangaroo Court isn’t recognized by the Majority of Sane and Reasonable Americans 6) President Trump inherited an Economic Nightmare from Biden who utterly Decimated our country for Four Years. Yes there IS a Temporary economic downturn but it’s gonna take some Time and Yes Pain for President Trump to Fix all the Terrible Mess that Biden left behind. We Remember.
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Says a member of the political party that doesn’t know the difference between a Man and a Woman. Rrright. Sure. Sure. 🙄
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Allot of Liberal propaganda on both. That’s not neutral so govt. shouldn’t fund them.
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@Collette Exactly !! And it’s Great that RFK Jr. is helping Make America Healthy Again !!
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🤣
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When hasn't he done the wrong thing? He wants the destruction of the U.S.A.!
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Biden, Yes he did want to destroy the country. And almost did.
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He wants a military parade when he never served and USA Vets are suffering from PTSD, hungar and homlessness!
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So I guess You think Biden, Obama, Clinton Did serve ? NO they didn’t. And I Am a Veteran. And President Trump did more in his first admin than Biden. Not that I’m a big fan of GW Bush but He did much more than Obama. There’s Nothing Wrong with Celebrating our Brave Military, it’s Long Over Due !! I’m Very confident that the Majority of Veterans and Current Military would appreciate some recognition on a National basis. Oh and by the way Thank GOD I’m not homeless but I Do have PTSD. There Are specific programs available for Homeless Veterans but They have to Use those. As a Veterans Advocate for 15 years I Know for a Fact there are programs for Vets but the individual Vet has to Choose to use those programs. You want to talk about Waste in the VA ( and most All Fed govt.) talk about the $$ Billions Biden spent on the Useless DEI programs, talk about That !! DEI does Nothing At All to help Homeless Vets, PTSD Vets etc. ALL DEI does is Divide people by race, gender, sexual orientation, Nothing More !!
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All I'm thinking of right now is an early '80s "SNL" "promo" of PBS in which you hear a chorus singing "We sure ain't stuffy no more!"
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What does that even mean?
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Umm What ??
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Great Job Mr. President Keep Up The Good Work !! The more the Libs whine, groan and curse the Better Job we know your doing !!
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What exactly is he doing for the average citizen?? How are you doing at the grocery store ?
Take off those orange tinted glasses!
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Well food won’t matter much if your Dead !! He’s trying to deport Illegal Immigrant Gang Members but is being injunctioned to death by Lib Dem Judges !! They actually want him to bring them back !! Though slowly ( Soon it’s gonna plunge) gas prices are going down. Even though Biden had Millions of Healthy chicken terminated Even though they hadn’t been diagnosed with bird flu, eggs have dropped down by over a dollar and right after Easter. People not of Your ideology don’t have Amnesia !! Biden destroyed this country for Four Years !! NO WAY can Any President fix All the terrible Mess Biden created in 100 days. It’s gonna take some Time. And every step of the way Lib Dem Judges Abusing their powers to try to usurp the powers and authority of our Executive Branch of government. And NO Biden was Not treated that way by Conservative Fed Judges by and large. Trump is doing what he was elected to do. Keep an eye on the gas pumps because soon the prices are gonna start dropping !! Take off your Blue glasses !!
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Biden destroyed this country in 4 yrs. Trump has been in office 100 days, and has made remarkable strides in straightening out the Biden/Harris mess.
At what point did Biden show any transparency, other than he sent our tax money by the billions to Ukraine, but no accountability or discussion of what we get in return, and thats just the tip of the iceberg......get over your TDS, as many out here suffer from this.
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It’s about time. PBS television has tons of corporate sponsorships, I watch a lot of PBS tv now with ‘commercials’ especially Viking Cruise Lines. Our tax money can be spent better elsewhere. Never listened to NPR
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