NPR Sues The Trump Administration

National Public Radio (NPR), along with three Colorado public radio stations, filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration in federal court in the District of Columbia, challenging an executive order issued on May 1, 2025, by President Donald Trump. 

The executive order directed the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), a congressionally chartered private nonprofit that distributes federal funds to public media, to halt all direct and indirect funding to NPR and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). 

The lawsuit argues that this order is a "clear violation of the Constitution" and constitutes "textbook retaliation" against NPR and PBS for their perceived editorial content, violating the First Amendment's protections for freedom of speech, association, and the press.

NPR and three Colorado public radio stations (Colorado Public Radio, Aspen Public Radio, and another unnamed station) filed the suit jointly, represented by a legal team that includes prominent First Amendment lawyer Theodore J. Boutrous and Miguel Estrada, a notable conservative attorney.

The lawsuit names President Trump, White House Budget Director Russell Vought, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and Maria Rosario Jackson, chair of the National Endowment for the Arts.

The executive order is described as "retaliatory, viewpoint-based discrimination" because it targets NPR and PBS based on the administration's claim that their content is "biased and partisan" or "radical, woke propaganda." NPR cites Supreme Court precedent, spanning 80 years, asserting that the government cannot determine what constitutes "biased" media, as this infringes on free speech.

The suit contends that the order usurps Congress's authority to allocate federal funds, as the CPB was created by the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 to operate independently of political interference. 

The order instructs the CPB to cease direct funding to NPR and PBS and to revise its 2025 grant provisions to prohibit indirect funding through local stations. It also directs federal agencies to review existing grants for compliance and terminate any non-compliant funding.

The Trump administration justified the order by claiming that NPR and PBS produce "left-wing propaganda" and that public funding is outdated given the modern media landscape. It cited specific NPR coverage, such as stories on transgender issues, crime, and COVID-19 origins, as evidence of bias.
The White House also alleged that NPR’s editorial staff is overwhelmingly Democratic, citing a claim that registered Democrats outnumber Republicans 87 to zero in its newsroom.

The FCC, led by Trump appointee Brendan Carr, launched an investigation into NPR and PBS, alleging that their corporate underwriting spots violate laws prohibiting commercial advertisements. NPR and PBS maintain that these spots comply with FCC guidelines, developed over decades of collaboration.

NPR’s President and CEO, Katherine Maher, stated that the order is not about budget balancing (CPB funding is less than 0.0001% of the federal budget) but rather an attack on independent journalism. She emphasized NPR’s commitment to journalistic integrity and its firewall preventing corporate influence over editorial decisions.

PBS CEO Paula Kerger called the order “blatantly unlawful” and warned that defunding would disrupt essential services, particularly for local stations in rural areas.