Judge Strikes Down Executive Order Banning Funding For NPR And PBS

While President Donald Trump spent much of his 2024 campaign touting his bona fides as a free speech advocate, his actions since taking office reveal that he believes in free speech only for people who agree with him. Last year, Trump signed an executive order banning federal funding for NPR and PBS because of their “left-wing bias.” A district court judge struck down that order on Tuesday, finding that it violated the organizations’ First Amendment rights. 

According to the New York Times, Judge Randolph Moss of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that the executive order was unlawful because it effectively punished NPR and PBS for exercising their right to free speech. “The message is clear: NPR and PBS need not apply for any federal benefit because the president disapproves of their ‘left-wing’ coverage of the news,” Judge Moss wrote. But the First Amendment, he said, “does not tolerate viewpoint discrimination and retaliation of this type.”

“It is difficult to conceive of clearer evidence that a government action is targeted at viewpoints that the President does not like and seeks to squelch,” Moss added.

In a statement, NPR called the ruling “a decisive affirmation of the rights of a free and independent press — and a win for NPR, our network of stations, and our tens of millions of listeners nationwide.”

PBS chief Paula Kerger said she was thrilled by the ruling and called the executive order a “textbook” violation of First Amendment rights and viewpoint discrimination. “At PBS, we will continue to do what we’ve always done: serve our mission to educate and inspire all Americans as the nation’s most trusted media institution,” Kerger said. 

It should come as no surprise that the White House was not thrilled with the ruling.

“This is a ridiculous ruling by an activist judge attempting to undermine the law. NPR and PBS have no right to receive taxpayer funds, and Congress already voted to defund them. The Trump administration looks forward to ultimate victory on the issue,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in a statement. 

As a taxpayer, I’d rather my money go to high-quality, easily accessible journalism than to the salaries of the most incompetent administration in my lifetime. Maybe that’s just me. 

While the ruling is a victory for the First Amendment and freedom of the press, the damage has largely been done by the executive order. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) shuttered last year due to a lack of federal funding, and several PBS and NPR affiliates have had to lay off staff and reporters. While Congress voted to restore $500 million in funding for the CPB, the executive order cut more than $1 billion in funding for the organization. Both PBS and NPR have begun seeking alternative funding, but the court ruling could pave the way for Congress to eventually restore full funding to the organizations. 

Saying the Trump administration has a combative relationship with the press would be an understatement. Trump seems to believe that he is above criticism. He has frequently called the press biased for saying such subversive things like “there’s no evidence the 2020 election was stolen,” or “rioting at the Capitol is bad, actually,” or “the unnecessary war in Iran is directly responsible for increasing gas prices.” 

In addition to the president’s frequent attacks and the now-stripped-down executive order, the Trump administration’s war against the press even extended to the Pentagon. Last year, the Defense Department issued a new policy banning the press from obtaining or soliciting information unless it was pre-approved by the Pentagon, essentially paving the way for state-run media. If news outlets didn’t agree to the policy, they were asked to turn in their press credentials. News outlets across the political spectrum refused to sign the policy, and eventually, a federal judge ruled it was unconstitutional. 

I wonder how many court rulings it’s going to take for the Trump administration to realize that the First Amendment isn’t simply about letting cornballs use slurs. 

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