Trump signs order to end federal funding for NPR and PBS
President Trump signed Executive Order 14290, "Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Biased Media," directing federal agencies to stop funding NPR and PBS through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting; NPR and PBS said the order exceeds presidential authority.1
- Country
- United States
- Where
- United States
- Level of government
- National
- Tactic
- Funding and ownership pressure
- Outcome
- Unknown
- Era
- The 2020s
What happened
On May 1, 2025, Trump signed Executive Order 14290, titled "Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Biased Media," directing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and federal agencies to cease direct and indirect funding of NPR and PBS. The order alleged the two networks violate the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967's requirement of balanced, unbiased coverage. NPR and PBS said CPB is a private, congressionally chartered nonprofit and that federal funding decisions rest with Congress, not the President, and both organizations said they would resist the order rather than comply voluntarily. Congress separately took its own actions affecting public-broadcasting appropriations later in 2025, including moves to claw back funds Congress had already appropriated to CPB, compounding the effect of the executive order on member-station budgets nationwide.1234
NPR and PBS have stated the order is not self-executing and have contested it; CPB funding disputes continued through 2025 via separate congressional action.4
What reason was given
The order stated that public funding for news programming was "not only outdated and unnecessary but corrosive to the appearance of journalistic independence" and the accompanying fact sheet said, "Neither entity presents a fair, accurate or unbiased portrayal of current events to tax-paying citizens."2
What changed for reporting
NPR and PBS face funding uncertainty affecting member stations, particularly smaller rural and tribal stations that rely most heavily on CPB grants for operating budgets.3
Timeline
2025
Who acted
| Name | Role in this incident | Office at the time |
|---|---|---|
| Donald Trump | ordered | President of the United States |
| United States Congress | other | Federal legislature |
Outlets and journalists
Sources
- Trump's attacks on press freedom escalate: NPR, PBS funding cuts explained archived copy
- Executive Order 14290
- Trump says he's ending federal funding for NPR and PBS. They say he can't
Claims cited
- Trump signed Executive Order 14290.
Executive Order 14290, titled "Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Biased Media", is an executive order signed by U.S. president Donald Trump on May 1, 2025
Executive Order 14290, Wikipedia. Claim 36, checked 2026-09-22. - The order and White House fact sheet said funding was "corrosive to the appearance of journalistic independence" and that NPR and PBS present coverage that is not "fair, accurate or unbiased."
not only outdated and unnecessary but corrosive to the appearance of journalistic independence
Executive Order 14290, Wikipedia. Claim 37, checked 2026-09-22. - The order directs agencies and CPB to stop funding NPR and PBS.
Neither entity presents a fair, accurate or unbiased portrayal of current events to tax-paying citizens
Trump says he's ending federal funding for NPR and PBS. They say he can't, NPR, 2025-05-02. Claim 38, checked 2026-09-22. - NPR and PBS said the president cannot unilaterally cut CPB's congressionally appropriated funding.
CPB is not a federal executive agency subject to the President's authority. Congress directly authorized and funded CPB to be a private nonprofit corporation wholly independent of the federal government.
Trump says he's ending federal funding for NPR and PBS. They say he can't, NPR, 2025-05-02. Claim 39, checked 2026-09-22.