The Trump administration’s efforts to cut public media funding have faced a major legal challenge as NPR argued in court that the president’s May 1 executive order illegally targeted the network for its news coverage. The order called for ending all federal subsidies to NPR and PBS, citing alleged ideological bias, claims both networks deny. At a key hearing in Washington, D.C., NPR’s attorneys said the executive order violates the First Amendment by discriminating against a news organization based on the viewpoints it expresses.
Federal lawyers defended the administration, saying Trump also sought to end funding for public media generally, and argued NPR had not suffered direct harm from the decree. Over the summer, Congress rescinded $1.1 billion in federal funding for public media, causing layoffs and programming cuts, though lawyers for the administration said this was unrelated to the executive order. U.S. District Judge Randolph D. Moss questioned the government’s defense and pressed both sides on what specific remedies they sought. NPR and three Colorado public radio stations argued the order threatens their ability to operate independently. Judge Moss suggested a possible resolution through a binding settlement similar to a prior agreement with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, but the government declined. A ruling is expected soon.