Trump Orders End to Taxpayer Funding for NPR and PBS, Citing “Radical Woke Propaganda”

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday aimed at eliminating taxpayer funding for PBS and NPR, accusing the two media outlets of disseminating “radical woke propaganda,” Fox News reports.

The executive order directs the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and other federal agencies to “cease Federal funding for NPR and PBS” and to identify and eliminate indirect sources of public financing for the news organizations.

” [President Trump] just signed an executive order ENDING the taxpayer subsidization of NPR and PBS – which receive millions from taxpayers to spread radical, woke propaganda disguised as ‘news,’” the White House announced on X.

PBS and NPR receive roughly half a billion dollars annually in public funding through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Both organizations have been preparing for potential funding cuts since Trump’s re-election.

In response to previous threats of defunding, PBS’ CEO and president Paula Kerger stated last month that such a move would “disrupt the essential service PBS and local member stations provide to the American people.” She added:

“There’s nothing more American than PBS, and our work is only possible because of the bipartisan support we have always received from Congress. This public-private partnership allows us to help prepare millions of children for success in school and in life and also supports enriching and inspiring programs of the highest quality.”

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting sued Trump earlier this week over his attempt to remove three members from its five-person board, arguing that the move exceeded his authority and would leave the board without a quorum necessary to conduct business.

Thursday’s order follows ongoing efforts by the Trump administration to dismantle the US Agency for Global Media, which oversees Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. These outlets were created to promote independent news gathering in societies with press restrictions. These efforts have faced legal challenges, with federal courts ruling in some cases that the Trump administration overstepped its authority by withholding funds appropriated to the outlets by Congress.

An NPR spokesperson said that the organization has, for more than half a century, collaborated with “local nonprofit public media organizations to fill critical needs for news and information in America’s communities.”

The spokesperson further stated:

“NPR’s editorial practices and decision-making are independent and free from outside influence, inclusive of any individual or commercial interest or political party. Millions of Americans depend on NPR Member stations for rigorous, fact-based, public service journalism that helps them stay informed about their communities and the world. Federal funding is essential to the work of public media and all public media stations.”