Trump Issues Executive Order to Block Funding for PBS and NPR, Sparking Legal and Public Outcry

Hadisur Rahman, JadeTimes Staff

H. Rahman is a Jadetimes news reporter covering the USA

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Image Source: Getty Image

Former U.S. President Donald Trump has issued a controversial executive order instructing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to halt all federal funding to the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and National Public Radio (NPR), citing claims of "biased and partisan news coverage."

Signed Thursday evening, the order directs the CPB board to "cease direct funding" to both organizations “to the maximum extent allowed by law.” The decision has drawn immediate backlash from media leaders and legal experts, who argue that the move is both unconstitutional and an unprecedented attack on press freedom.

PBS CEO Paula Kerger called the directive “blatantly unlawful” and warned that it “threatens our ability to serve the American public with educational programming, as we have for the past 50-plus years.”

The CPB, a private nonprofit entity established by Congress in 1967 to shield public broadcasting from political interference, stated that it does not fall under presidential authority. “Congress directly authorised and funded CPB to be a private nonprofit corporation wholly independent of the federal government,” said CPB President Patricia Harrison. “We are not a federal executive agency subject to the President’s control.”

The White House defended the order, asserting that government funding of media outlets is “outdated, unnecessary, and corrosive to journalistic independence” in a media landscape that has become more “diverse.” However, Congress has already allocated CPB’s funding through 2027, limiting the immediate effect of the order.

NPR’s CEO Katherine Maher said in March that the broadcaster expected to receive around $120 million from CPB in 2025, which accounts for less than 5% of its operating budget. Still, both NPR and PBS warned that eliminating CPB funding would disproportionately harm local stations and underserved communities, especially during emergencies.

In a related development, Radio Free Asia, another government-funded news outlet, announced Friday it would shutter most of its broadcasts and lay off staff. CEO Bay Fang attributed the decision to the Trump administration withholding congressionally approved funds despite a recent federal court ruling in the broadcaster's favor.

The move has sparked concern among press freedom advocates. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) released a statement warning of “an alarming deterioration in press freedom” in the United States under Trump and highlighted "unprecedented difficulties" for independent journalists globally.

Musician and activist Michael Stipe of R.E.M. voiced his support for affected journalists, stating, “Whether it’s music or a free press censorship anywhere is a threat to the truth everywhere.”

More than 40 million Americans tune into NPR each week, and around 36 million watch PBS monthly, according to network estimates. As legal and political challenges loom, the executive order is expected to spark a broader debate over the future of publicly funded journalism in the U.S.