Federal Judge Strikes Down Trump Order Eliminating Npr And Pbs Funds

A federal judge ruled on Tuesday that President Donald Trump’s order to end federal funding for NPR and PBS is unconstitutional.

Even as the judge struck down Trump’s executive action, the ruling is unlikely to restart funding for public media. Judge Randolph Moss acknowledged in his ruling that Congress’ rescissions of funding last year to the Corporation of Public Broadcasting, the organization that distributed most of the government’s grants to public media companies such as PBS and NPR, limits the impact of his decision.

Moss, who was appointed by former President Barack Obama, said the portion of Trump’s executive order directing all agencies to eliminate funding for NPR and PBS “singles out” the two media outlets “on the basis of their speech.”

“The First Amendment draws a line, which the government may not cross, at efforts to use government power—including the power of the purse—’to punish or suppress disfavored expression’ by others,” Moss wrote.

Trump’s executive order, which he signed last May, “crosses that line” by singling out the nation’s two leading public broadcasters, Moss wrote.

“The message is clear: NPR and PBS need not apply for any federal benefit because the President disapproves of their ‘left-wing’ coverage of the news,” Moss said of Trump’s order.

Trump has long been critical of NPR and PBS for their news coverage, which he has claimed is biased against him and his Republican allies. Last year, the White House asked Congress to cancel $1.1 billion in funding for CPB as part of a $9.3 billion rescissions package.

White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson criticized the “ridiculous ruling” and hinted the Trump administration may file an appeal.

“NPR and PBS have no right to receive taxpayer funds, and Congress already voted to defund them. The Trump Administration looks forward to ultimate victory on the issue,” Jackson said.

NPR and PBS both celebrated the ruling as a victory for the First Amendment.

“We’re thrilled with today’s decision declaring the executive order unconstitutional,” PBS spokesperson Jeremy Gaines said. “As we argued, and Judge Moss ruled, the executive order is textbook unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination and retaliation, in violation of longstanding First Amendment principles.”

NPR President and CEO Katherine Maher called the ruling “a decisive affirmation of the rights of a free and independent press — and a win for NPR, our network of stations, and our tens of millions of listeners nationwide.”

“The court made clear that the government cannot use funding as a lever to influence or penalize the press, whether as a national news service or a local newsroom,” Maher added.

CPB closed its doors and filed for dissolution earlier this year, bringing an end to the nonprofit formed in 1967 to help facilitate funding for public radio broadcasters around the country, many of which relied heavily on federal grants to operate.

Moss said in his ruling that because CPB funds had been rescinded, the requests from NPR and PBS for relief against CPB are rendered moot. But the judge issued a permanent injunction against the Trump administration from implementing the executive order.