Asger Risom
The president calls it “an honor” to shut down government funding for outlets he claims are biased.
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In a renewed offensive against the American press, President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he would be “honored” to terminate federal support for NPR and PBS, accusing the two public broadcasters of promoting left-leaning bias.
As reported by Digi24, Trump made the comments during an exchange with journalists at the White House. “All that wasted money… and they have a very biased point of view,” he said. He also lashed out at The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg, calling him “twisted” following the magazine’s recent coverage of a leaked military security breach.
Funding and Political Pressure
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which distributes federal funds to public media, has a budget of around $500 million approved by Congress. Though NPR claims it receives only about 1% of its funding directly from federal sources, most local radio and TV stations rely heavily on CPB grants to purchase national content from NPR and PBS.
Despite their relatively modest reach compared to commercial networks, both organizations remain important fixtures in American media. NPR says it reaches 41 million listeners weekly, while PBS reports a monthly audience of 36 million across its network of local stations.
The administration has also taken aim at U.S. international broadcasting. The government agency overseeing Voice of America, Radio Free Asia, and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty is reportedly being dismantled, part of a broader overhaul of federally supported media.
Conservative Backing for Cuts
Support for the move is growing among Trump allies. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene posted on X that the “Commission for Government Efficiency” led by Elon Musk—known as DOGE—would take up the issue this week. “Do you want your taxes funding far-left propaganda on PBS and NPR?” she asked followers.
The threat marks another flashpoint in Trump’s long-running feud with traditional media, which he routinely labels as biased and untrustworthy—rhetoric that critics argue undermines press freedom and public access to independent journalism.
