President Donald Trump has renewed calls to defund NPR and PBS, labeling them “horrible and completely biased” platforms that should lose federal funding “IMMEDIATELY” through congressional action. This follows a contentious House hearing where Republicans accused the public broadcasters of promoting liberal ideology, while Democrats defended their role in American society.
– Trump escalated attacks through late-night Truth Social posts, claiming NPR and PBS function as “arms of the Radical Left Democrat Party”
– House Republicans held a DOGE Subcommittee hearing titled “Anti-American Airwaves” to interrogate NPR CEO Katherine Maher and PBS CEO Paula Kerger about alleged bias
– Proposed legislation (Sen. John Kennedy, Rep. Scott Perry) seeks to eliminate $535 million in annual funding to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting
| | | |
|————————–|———|———|
| Direct federal funding | 1-3% | 16% |
| Local station funding | 8-10% | 17% |
| Cost per U.S. taxpayer | $1.50/year |
Smaller rural stations rely most on government support
Republicans claim:
– Programming favors “wealthy, white, urban liberals” over conservative/rural audiences
– Modern media landscape makes taxpayer funding unnecessary
– Coverage of Hunter Biden’s laptop and COVID-19 origins showed partisan bias
Democrats and broadcasters respond:
– Public media provides local news/educational content commercial outlets abandon
– “Sesame Street,” emergency alerts, and agricultural reports serve public good
– Average American pays less annually ($1.50) than Brits pay for BBC ($70)
– Only 24% of Americans support cuts, including just 44% of Republicans
– Elimination requires congressional approval amid tight budget margins
– Past efforts under Reagan, Bush, and Trump failed despite similar rhetoric
While Trump’s administration has taken concrete steps – including FCC investigations into underwriting practices and removal of press access at federal agencies – the fate of NPR and PBS ultimately rests with Congress. Historical patterns suggest sustained outrage but limited legislative success, though conservative judges’ rulings on First Amendment issues could create new vulnerabilities.
