On Thursday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order defunding NPR and PBS — two taxpayer-subsidized “news” organizations that have consistently published propaganda.
The order proclaims that “Government funding of news media in this environment is not only outdated and unnecessary but corrosive to the appearance of journalistic independence.”
“At the very least, Americans have the right to expect that if their tax dollars fund public broadcasting at all, they fund only fair, accurate, unbiased, and nonpartisan news coverage,” the order continues. “No media outlet has a constitutional right to taxpayer subsidies, and the Government is entitled to determine which categories of activities to subsidize.”
Here are 12 reasons why NPR and PBS News deserved to be stripped of taxpayer funds.
1. NPR Refused To Cover Hunter Biden’s Laptop
Perhaps the most egregious example of why NPR should be defunded — and should have been five years ago — is their refusal to cover the Hunter Biden laptop scandal in the lead up to the 2020 election.
“We don’t want to waste our time on stories that are not really stories, and we don’t want to waste listeners’ and readers’ time on stories that are just pure distractions,” NPR Managing Editor for News Terence Samuel said in a statement back in October 2020. A newsletter published by NPR Public Editor Kelly McBride claimed “there are many, many red flags in that New York Post investigation.”
Following NPR’s announcement that they wouldn’t do journalism, “#defundNPR” trended on then-Twitter, The Federalist’s Jordan Boyd reported.
Well, five years later, NPR has finally been defunded.
2. 100% Of NPR’s ‘Editorial Positions’ Are Held By Registered Democrats
NPR editor Uri Berliner previously reported that voting records showed “87 registered Democrats working in editorial positions and zero Republicans.”
NPR’s Katherine Maher admitted it was a “concern” during a March Congressional hearing that all 87 positions are held by registered Democrats.
As Rep. William Timmons (R-S.C.) said in a post on X, “NPR’s blatant partisan imbalance is unacceptable — taxpayers should not be forced to foot the bill for a one-sided echo chamber.”
3. NPR Spread Tear Gas Hoax
As pointed out by The Federalist’s Elections Editor Elle Purnell, NPR “falsely claimed demonstrators outside the White House were tear-gassed by U.S. Park Police” in June 2020.
“Park Police Tear Gas Peaceful Protesters To Clear Way For Trump Church Photo-Op,” one NPR headline stated. A post on Twitter from NPR Politics stated: “Police in Washington, D.C., used tear gas and rubber bullets on peaceful protesters to clear them away from St. John’s Church, which suffered a small fire.” (The “small fire” being an apparent act of arson).
But the “peaceful” protesters actually threw “projectiles, including bricks, frozen water bottles and caustic liquids,” according to acting Park Police Chief Gregory T. Monahan. Monahan also stated Park Police did not use tear gas but rather smoke canisters, which as noted by Purnell, “lack the irritant used in tear gas.”
4. NPR Editor Promoted Defense Of Looting
NPR assistant editor Natalie Escobar promoted a book in 2020 titled “In Defense of Looting,” as highlighted by Purnell. The book, authored by Vicky Osterweil, argues — according to a summary from Escobar — “that looting is a powerful tool to bring about real, lasting change in society.”
5. Country Music Is A ‘Symbol of Racism’
Purnell also pointed out how NPR’s Britany Luse hosted a podcast episode in August of 2023 titled “How racism became a marketing tool for country music.”
“[I]s racism what it takes for country music to go number one?” Luse posited. “I wanted to know how country music became this symbol of racism and why country music fans are flocking to stars … who are peddling racist rhetoric today.”
6. NPR Said Declaration of Independence Is ‘Offensive’
NPR’s antipathy toward the Declaration of Independence has been on full display for years.
On July 8, 2022, NPR added an “Editor’s note” to a 2019 “NPR Tradition” of reading the Declaration of Independence that said: “This story quotes the U.S. Declaration of Independence — a document that contains offensive language about Native Americans, including a racial slur.”
That same year, Host of NPR’s Morning Edition Leila Fadel announced NPR would “break with tradition” and instead of reading the Declaration of Independence would examine “what equality means and has meant in this document.”
7. NPR Apologized For Calling Illegal Aliens ‘Illegal’
“Sorry, that was a mistake,” NPR said in response to a now-deleted tweet. “NPR’s policy is not to characterize people as ‘illegal.’ We slip up from time to time, but we’ll keep working hard to get it right.”
(They got it right the first time).
8. If You Use The Wrong Skin Color Emoji You Could Be Racist
At least that’s what NPR’s Alejandra Marquez Janse, Patrick Jarenwattanon and Asma Khalid suggested in a 2022 article titled: “Which skin color emoji should you use? The answer can be more complex than you think.”
9. PBS Dedicated An Entire Documentary To Reparations
PBS released a documentary in 2024 titled “The Cost of Inheritance” that “explores the complex issue of reparations in the U.S. using a thoughtful approach to history, historical injustices, systemic inequities, and critical dialogue on racial reconciliation.”
The documentary claims to “inspire understanding of the scope and rationale of the reparations debate.”
10. PBS White House Reporter Called Trump Mt. Rushmore Address A Love Letter To ‘White Resentment’
Trump delivered an address in front of Mount Rushmore in 2020 highlighting America’s rich history and greatness. But PBS White House correspondent Yamiche Alcindor claimed Trump was spreading the “lie” that the nation “treated men and women equally, that we founded this country just by our own wits” and that “we’re seeing a celebration of America’s independence on land that was stolen from Native Americans.”
And, as reported by Media Research Center, Alcindor questioned “what part of America” and what “period” is Trump referring to when he says “Make America Great Again.”
“He’s fitting in this history that is, in some ways, a Republican history about the idea they’re really looking at white resentment,” she claimed.
11. PBS Encouraged Viewers To ‘Stay Woke!’
A 2017 episode of “A Seat At The Table” titled “Stay Woke!” sounded “the alarm to WAKE YOU UP!”
The episode discussed “what it really means to be WOKE, and why it’s important to move beyond awareness to action.”
“We can’t address racism by pretending it doesn’t exist,” the episode description reads.
12. PBS Hosted Biased 2024 Convention Coverage
According to NewsBusters’ Clay Waters, “PBS treated the RNC to 72% negative and 28% positive commentary” while the “DNC received far friendlier reception: 12% negative, 88% positive.”
PBS — according to Waters — accused the RNC of platforming “white supremacy.”
Brianna Lyman is an elections correspondent at The Federalist. Brianna graduated from Fordham University with a degree in International Political Economy. Her work has been featured on Newsmax, Fox News, Fox Business and RealClearPolitics. Follow Brianna on X: @briannalyman2
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