Trump Move to Bar Funding for NPR, PBS Stopped by Court

A U.S. federal judge recently halted President Trump’s attempt to restrict funding for National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). The directive, issued in May, was declared unlawful by US District Judge Randolph Moss. Trump had ordered the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to cease financial support for these entities, either directly or through indirect channels.

Separately, an appeals court panel paused a federal judge’s order compelling the Trump administration to recall hundreds of Voice of America (VOA) employees from unpaid leave. This delay affects the implementation of a prior ruling by US District Court Judge Royce C. Lamberth, which deemed the administration’s decision to place more VOA staff on leave as invalid.

Trump and his allies argue that NPR and PBS’s news coverage exhibits liberal bias, making it unfit for public funding. In July, the administration also passed a measure to cancel about $1.1 billion in allocated funds for public broadcasting initiatives. Despite these actions, the long-term impact of Moss’s ruling remains uncertain, as the decision is likely to be contested.

“It is difficult to conceive of clearer evidence that a government action is targeted at viewpoints the President does not like and seeks to squelch,” wrote Moss, who was nominated to the bench by President Barack Obama. He emphasized the order’s conflict with the First Amendment, which “does not tolerate viewpoint discrimination or retaliation of this type.”

“Moss’ decision is a ridiculous ruling by an activist judge attempting to undermine the law,” stated White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson.