A U.S. federal judge has permanently blocked the Trump administration from cutting federal funding to National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), citing concerns about violating the First Amendment. U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss’s ruling declared President Donald Trump’s executive order to cease funding for NPR and PBS as unlawful and unenforceable, emphasizing that the government cannot engage in viewpoint discrimination. The decision comes after Trump expressed his desire to defund NPR and PBS due to perceived bias in their coverage.
The judge’s ruling highlighted that the government’s attempt to cut off funding to NPR and PBS was an infringement on free speech rights and an effort to suppress viewpoints disapproved by the president. NPR accused the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) of violating its First Amendment rights by withholding grant money, with NPR’s president Katherine Maher emphasizing the importance of public media serving the public interest.
PBS chief Paula Kerger welcomed the decision, criticizing the executive order as unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination. The ruling was praised by plaintiffs’ attorney Theodore Boutrous as a victory for the First Amendment and freedom of the press. The decision follows CPB’s announcement last year of steps towards closure after losing funding from Congress.
While government attorneys argued that some legal claims against the news outlets were no longer relevant, the judge noted that the executive order extended beyond the CPB, directing all federal agencies to refrain from funding NPR and PBS. The legal battle began when NPR and three public radio stations sued administration officials over the funding cuts, which led to significant repercussions for PBS, including layoffs in its children’s programming department. Despite the executive order, Congress’s decision to eliminate federal appropriations for PBS and NPR ultimately led to the closure of the CPB.