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Trump Orders End to Biased NPR, PBS Funding with Taxpayer’s Money [WATCH]

President Donald Trump signed an executive order late Thursday ending federal funding for National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), citing concerns over media bias and the use of taxpayer dollars to support partisan coverage.

The order directs the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the entity through which NPR and PBS receive federal subsidies, to cease all direct and indirect financial support to both outlets. The CPB has until June 30 to fully implement the president’s directive.

“Government funding of news media in this environment is not only outdated and unnecessary but corrosive to the appearance of journalistic independence,” the order states.

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“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.”

Trump also instructed the CPB to halt indirect funding through public radio and television stations.

The executive order mandates that CPB recipients, including licensees and permittees of public broadcast stations, must not use federal funds for programming or support of NPR or PBS.

While the move marks a significant change in federal media policy, both NPR and PBS are expected to continue operations.

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Each outlet has a variety of funding sources, including foundation grants, corporate sponsorships, and individual donations.

According to NPR, only about 1% of its funding comes directly from the CPB. NPR’s member stations receive approximately 10% of their funding from the CPB.

PBS and its local stations receive roughly 15% of their revenues from the CPB.

The CPB is currently set to receive $535 million annually in congressional appropriations for fiscal years 2025 and 2026.

The executive order follows previous public statements by Trump advocating for the defunding of NPR and PBS.

In a March 27 post on Truth Social, Trump wrote, “NPR and PBS, two horrible and completely biased platforms … should be DEFUNDED by Congress, IMMEDIATELY.”

The president’s order further argues that tax dollars should only fund media that provides “fair, accurate, unbiased, and nonpartisan news coverage.”

It adds that “no media outlet has a constitutional right to taxpayer subsidies,” and that the federal government is within its authority to decide which types of activities should receive public funds.

A White House fact sheet accompanying the order stated that NPR and PBS serve as “significant in-kind contributions to the Democrat party and its political cause,” and that such activity violates the CPB’s statutory requirement to operate in a nonpolitical capacity.

“The CPB fails to abide by these principles to the extent it subsidizes NPR and PBS,” the fact sheet said.

“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.”

In addition to the funding restrictions through CPB, the order directs all federal agencies to identify and eliminate any other forms of taxpayer funding provided to NPR and PBS.

The executive order also assigns a new oversight role to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

He has been tasked with reviewing the employment practices of NPR and PBS to ensure compliance with federal nondiscrimination requirements.

“In the event of a finding of noncompliance,” the order reads, “the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall take appropriate corrective action.”

The decision to sever federal funding ties with NPR and PBS is expected to face legal and political challenges, though the administration maintains that the measure is within its legal authority under existing appropriations and oversight statutes.

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