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President Donald Trump signed an executive order late Thursday aimed at ending federal funding for NPR and PBS, accusing the organizations in a social media post of spreading “radical, woke propaganda.” The official order, found on the White House website, directs the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and other agencies to halt both direct and indirect public financing to the public broadcasters.
“Today the media landscape is filled with abundant, diverse, and innovative news options,” the order states. “Government funding of news media in this environment is not only outdated and unnecessary but corrosive to the appearance of journalistic independence.”

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This move follows a pattern of Trump leveraging executive powers to defund or dismantle institutions he deems oppositional, including cultural and educational organizations like the Kennedy Center and National Endowment for the Humanities.

The legality of Trump’s order is in question, however, as CPB is a private nonprofit entity and not a federal agency.

CPB CEO Patricia Harrison emphasized its independence from presidential authority, stating the executive order is not legally binding. “Congress directly authorized and funded CPB to be a private nonprofit corporation wholly independent of the federal government,” she said.

PBS president Paula Kerger condemned the executive order as “blatantly unlawful,” adding that it jeopardizes the broadcaster’s long-standing public service mission. She highlighted PBS’s bipartisan congressional support and its role in delivering educational and cultural programming.

NPR also pushed back at the order, vowing to defend itself through all legal avenues. The organization asserted that Trump’s action is not about fiscal responsibility, as public broadcasting receives less than 0.0001% of the federal budget, but rather an attack on First Amendment rights and press freedom. “We will vigorously defend our right to provide essential news, information and life-saving services to the American public,” the organization said. “We will challenge this Executive Order using all means available.”

Each year, CPB allocates about $535 million in taxpayer funds to public broadcasters and content producers. Although NPR and PBS have anticipated funding threats since Trump’s 2016 election, the administration’s latest action escalates those concerns. The Trump administration has also proposed a $9.1 billion budget cut package that includes rescinding CPB funding, though the proposal has yet to reach Congress.

This action mirrors similar efforts by the administration to suppress institutions that provide independent or critical viewpoints. It also coincides with attempts to dismantle the agency in charge of Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Federal courts have previously intervened in cases where the administration withheld congressionally approved funds from media outlets, raising doubts about the legal sustainability of Trump’s latest move targeting public broadcasters.

Critics argue that cutting funding to NPR and PBS could significantly hinder access to trusted educational and cultural programming, especially in underserved communities. Trump’s executive order may also face strong legal and political resistance, as both public broadcasters have traditionally enjoyed bipartisan support in Congress.

“There’s nothing more American than PBS, and our work is only possible because of the bipartisan support we have always received from Congress,” Kerger said last month. “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 CPB has already sued Trump over his attempt to remove three board members, which would have left the board unable to function due to lack of quorum.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.