Trump Ends Federal Funding for NPR, PBS

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order directing the immediate halt of federal funding for National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), accusing both organizations of partisan bias and misuse of taxpayer money. The order instructs the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to cease current and future funding to NPR and PBS, arguing that the current media landscape is sufficiently diverse and that public funding is no longer necessary or appropriate. Critics, including NPR and PBS, warn that this decision threatens vital media services for millions of Americans who depend on these outlets for independent news and educational programming. The move has sparked widespread debate about press freedom and the future of public media, with opponents arguing that it undermines journalistic independence and poses risks to free speech and access to information in the United States. The executive order is part of a broader pattern of criticism and pressure from the Trump administration toward media entities it perceives as hostile or biased. The effectiveness of the order may be limited by existing congressional appropriations, but it marks a significant escalation in the administration’s campaign against publicly funded media.