National Public Radio (NPR) filed a lawsuit on Tuesday against U.S. President Donald Trump, seeking to block his executive order ending federal funding for NPR and the PBS television network. Since returning to power in January, Trump has intensified his long-standing conflict with mainstream media, accusing it of bias against him. As part of a broader media crackdown, his administration has taken steps to dismantle government-funded news outlets and has revoked independent authority over White House press access.
Earlier this month, Trump signed an executive order directing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which oversees both NPR and PBS, to halt funding. The administration claims these organizations promote partisanship and left-wing propaganda using taxpayer money, calling it an inappropriate use of federal funds.
NPR argues that the order is unconstitutional, violating the principle of separation of powers, since Congress—not the executive branch—has the authority to allocate federal funds. Furthermore, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting’s budget has already been approved by Congress through 2027, raising legal and procedural concerns about the legitimacy of Trump’s directive. NPR also contends the order infringes on the First Amendment’s guarantee of free expression, alleging it is intended to punish NPR for content the president finds objectionable.
NPR CEO Katherine Maher stated that the executive order clearly aims to retaliate against critical journalism and emphasized NPR’s commitment to constitutional rights, a free press, and an informed public. She highlighted that NPR reaches 43 million listeners weekly, while PBS estimates 36 million Americans watch its programming monthly.
The administration’s actions are part of a wider campaign to slash government spending, including the dismissal of tens of thousands of civil servants across various departments, often without prior notice. In the media sector, this includes efforts to eliminate international government-funded outlets such as Voice of America, Radio Free Asia, and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. The Defense Department has also removed several major news organizations from their dedicated press offices, replacing them with smaller, predominantly conservative outlets.
