Associated Press
National Public Radio and three local stations filed a lawsuit Tuesday against President Donald Trump, arguing that an executive order aimed at cutting federal funding for the organization is illegal.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington by NPR, Colorado Public Radio, Aspen Public Radio and KUTE, Inc. argues that Trump’s executive order to slash public subsidies to PBS and NPR violates the First Amendment.
Trump issued the executive order earlier this month that instructs the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and other federal agencies “to cease Federal funding for NPR and PBS” and requires that they work to root out indirect sources of public financing for the news organizations. Trump issued the order after alleging there is “bias” in the broadcasters’ reporting.
“The Order’s objectives could not be clearer: the Order aims to punish NPR for the content of news and other programming the President dislikes and chill the free exercise of First Amendment rights by NPR and individual public radio stations across the country,” the lawsuit alleges.
“The Order is textbook retaliation and viewpoint-based discrimination in violation of the First Amendment, and it interferes with NPR’s and the Local Member Stations’ freedom of expressive association and editorial discretion,” it said.
The court fight seemed preordained, given that the heads of NPR and PBS both reacted to Trump’s move with statements that they believed it was illegal. The absence of PBS from Tuesday’s filing indicates the two systems will challenge this separately; PBS has not yet gone to court, but is likely to soon.
The President’s attempts to dismantle government-run news sources like Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty have also sparked court fights.
The administration has battled with the press on several fronts. The Federal Communications Commission is investigating ABC, CBS and NBC News. The Associated Press also went to court after the administration restricted access to certain events in response to the organization’s decision not to rename the Gulf of Mexico as Trump decreed
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Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
3 comments
rbruce
May 27, 2025 at 11:33 am
The President is not stopping NPR or PBS from doing anything or saying anything they want. He is stopping forcing the taxpayer to pay for it. Sell some more tote bags and CD collections. Stop being welfare queens.
Paul Passarelli
May 27, 2025 at 1:18 pm
The article states:
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington by NPR, Colorado Public Radio, Aspen Public Radio and KUTE, Inc. argues that Trump’s executive order to slash public subsidies to PBS and NPR violates the First Amendment.
Well, that’s the biggest crock of shit since the last story to air on NPR!
Michael K
May 27, 2025 at 8:00 pm
Congress approved the funding. Only Congress has the power of the purse. The reasons for Trump’s decision to defund public broadcasting have no merit. Trump simply has personal disdain for truth and/or anyone who challenges his words and actions. NPR and affiliate stations have broken no law, nor are they in non-compliance with their authorizing environment. This is pure politcal retribitution and will not hold up in the courts. Like Harvard, good for them in standing up to a bully.