WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order aiming to slash public subsidies to PBS and NPR as he alleged 鈥渂ias鈥� in the broadcasters鈥� reporting.
The order instructs the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and other federal agencies 鈥渢o cease Federal funding for NPR and PBS" and further requires that that they work to root out indirect sources of public financing for the news organizations. The White House, in a social media posting announcing the signing, said the outlets 鈥渞eceive millions from taxpayers to spread radical, woke propaganda disguised as 'news.'鈥�
It's the latest move by Trump and his administration to utilize federal powers to control or hamstring institutions whose actions or viewpoints he disagrees with. Since taking office, Trump has ousted leaders, placed staff on administrative leave and cut off hundreds of millions of dollars in funding to artists, libraries, museums, theaters and others, through takeovers of the and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Trump has also pushed to withhold federal research and education funds from universities and punish law firms unless they agreed to eliminate diversity programs and other measures Trump has found objectionable.
The broadcasters in public money through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and have been preparing for the possibility of stiff cuts since Trump's election, as Republicans have long complained about them.
Paula Kerger, PBS鈥� CEO and president, said in a statement last month that the Trump administration鈥檚 effort to rescind funding for public media would 鈥渄isrupt the essential service PBS and local member stations provide to the American people.鈥�
鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing more American than PBS, and our work is only possible because of the bipartisan support we have always received from Congress,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his public-private partnership allows us to help prepare millions of children for success in school and in life and also supports enriching and inspiring programs of the highest quality.鈥�
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting sued Trump earlier this week over his move to fire three members of its five-person board, contending that the president was exceeding his authority and that the move would deprive the board of a quorum needed to conduct business.
Just two weeks ago, the White House said it would be asking Congress to rescind funding for the CPB as part of a $9.1 billion package of cuts. That package, however, which budget director Russell Vought said would likely be the first of several, has not yet been sent to Capitol Hill.
The move against PBS and NPR comes as his administration has been working to dismantle the U.S. Agency for Global Media, including Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, which were designed to model independent news gathering globally in societies that restrict the press. Those efforts have faced pushback from federal courts, who have ruled in some cases that the Trump administration may have overstepped its authority in holding back funds appropriated to the outlets by Congress.
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AP Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro contributed.
The Associated Press
