Trump Admin Moves To Defund Left-Leaning PBS, NPR

The Trump administration is moving to eliminate federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which supports PBS and NPR, while also cutting billions in foreign aid, according to a draft memo from Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought. The New York Post reports the plan would strip $1.1 billion from CPB and $8.3 billion from USAID, pointing to CPB’s “consistent anti-conservative bias” as a driving factor.

The memo, part of a “rescissions” strategy to rescind previously approved funds, was requested by GOP congressional leaders. Once delivered to Capitol Hill, the Republican-led Congress will have 45 days to approve or reject the proposal. White House officials are confident it will pass.

The plan also solidifies foreign aid cuts led by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, aligning with efforts to slash federal spending.

“Since day one, the Trump Administration has targeted waste, fraud, and abuse in Federal spending through executive action, DOGE review, and other efforts by departments and agencies. Congress has expressed strong interest in supporting those efforts, and requested the Administration transmit rescissions to the Hill for swift approval,” the memo reads, according to the NY Post. “OMB recommends the Administration respond with two proposals to cut $9.3 billion. The first includes a rescission of $8.3 billion in wasteful foreign aid spending (out of $22 billion) that does not expire in Fiscal Year (FY) 2025. The second is a separate rescission of all Federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) — which funds the politically biased public radio and public television system.”

The memo also highlighted examples of coverage of President Donald Trump, noting that NPR CEO Katherine Maher previously referred to Trump a “fascist” and a “deranged racist.”

Trump has long demanded that NPR and PBS be stripped of federal funding, writing last month on Truth Social: “NPR and PBS, two horrible and completely biased platforms … should be DEFUNDED by Congress, IMMEDIATELY.”

On March 28th, Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX) introduced legislation to to eliminate federal funding for NPR and PBS, labeling them “chronically biased” following a DOGE hearing.

“For decades, radical Democrats have funneled taxpayer dollars to NPR and PBS under the guise of ‘serving the public,’ despite both organizations abandoning their founding missions to provide non-biased content and instead promoting the same radical-left propaganda as any other fake news outlet,” Jackson said in a statement. “If these organizations want to push partisan agendas, they do not deserve another dime of federal support.”

Cosponsors of the bill include DOGE Subcommittee Chairwoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and Reps. Jodey Arrington (R-TX), Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Tim Burchett (R-TN), Michael Cloud (R-TX), Mike Collins (R-GA), Neal Dunn (R-FL), Paul Gosar (R-AZ), Troy Nehls (R-TX), Chip Roy (R-TX), Keith Self (R-TX), and Randy Weber (R-TX).

“I’m proud to cosponsor Ronny Jackson’s bill to defund PBS and NPR,” said Greene. “As my DOGE subcommittee hearing showed, these taxpayer-funded PR arms of the Democrat Party don’t deserve the American people’s hard-earned money. NPR and PBS hate President Trump, his supporters, and the majority of Americans who sent us a mandate in 2024. They can hate us on their own dime.”