Trump signs executive order to end federal funding of NPR, PBS

Derek Wallbank, Bloomberg News on May 2, 2025

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WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump ordered an end to taxpayer subsidies for National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service, a long-standing goal of some Republicans who have accused the media outlets of bias.

In an executive order late Thursday, Trump said that government funding of news media is “not only outdated and unnecessary but corrosive to the appearance of journalistic independence.”

The order requires the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to cease direct funding for NPR and PBS to the maximum extent allowed by law, and bars future allocations. The measure also seeks to block indirect funding of NPR and PBS by the federal government, as well as ensure federal money doesn’t reach either of them through community television and radio grant recipients.

While both public media outlets receive a small portion of their funding from federal sources, PBS is set to take a larger hit. The broadcaster relies on federal funds for about 16% of its overall budget, the broadcaster’s president and CEO, Paula Kerger, told U.S. House lawmakers in March.

NPR, by contrast, pulls in 1% directly from U.S. government sources. Both networks also receive money from sponsors and individual donors.

Republicans have long sought to eliminate funding for NPR and PBS, and Trump has repeatedly criticized news coverage of his administration. In the order, he faulted both NPR and PBS for their “portrayal of current events” though didn’t offer specific examples he saw as problematic.

Both outlets regularly cover the White House, U.S. government and politics, and have won numerous journalism awards for their coverage. The two did not immediately return requests placed late Thursday seeking comment.

(Gregory Korte and Erik Wasson contributed to this report.)