Late Thursday night, President Trump moved via executive order to defund far-left networks National Public Radio (NPR) and PBS on the TV side, ordering the Corporation for Public Broadcasting cease direct and indirect taxpayer funding in addition to government agencies ceasing federal grants. A move decades in the making, ABC’s Good Morning America and CBS Mornings were nowhere to be seen early Friday, leaving only a partial segment on NBC’s Today.
“Meanwhile, Peter, also some news being made overnight. President Trump signing another executive order. This one — this one aimed at cutting funding for NPR and PBS. What more can you tell us about that,” co-host Craig Melvin wondered to chief White House correspondent Peter Alexander.
Alexander explained that Trump “order[ed] the end of public funding for both public news outlets” and hilariously said “the White House in the past has accused” them “of biased and partisan news coverage and programming.”
Imagine thinking an outlet like NPR isn’t biased despite having aired segments glorifying cannibalism, castrations, and looting.
Alexander then dropped the fake news: “Federal funding notably counts for about 15 percent of PBS’s and one percent of NPR’s budget with the rest largely coming from outside donations, so it’s likely not going to shut down either outlet. But the critics say the cuts could largely impact the communities that rely on local stations and their programming.”
As we’ve established for decades (such as here), that is simply not true as, at least in the Corporation for Public Broadcasting disclosures, taxpayer dollars are hundreds of millions, accounting for between 15-20 percent.
Tim Graham wrote this in the article linked to above back in February: “The vast majority of NPR stations receive “community service grants” from CPB, and then turn around and send money back to D.C. for ‘programming costs’ for the nationally distributed shows.”
Our own Dan Dan Schneider eviscerated this lie on Friday’s Vince podcast with our friend Vince Coglianese, saying the various funding loops would be deemed “criminal if anybody else were to do it, for NPR and PBS, it’s codified in law” with Coliganese dubbing this all “a shell game.”
Alexander wrapped by saying that, in addition to not having heard back from NPR and PBS on requests to comment, the reality that “this move is all but certainly going to be challenged in court and, of course, it’s just the latest chapter in President Trump’s clash with the media.”
To see the relevant NBC transcript from May 2, click “expand.”
NBC’s Today
May 2, 2025
7:10 a.m. Eastern[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Trump Seeks to End PBS & NPR Funding]
CRAIG MELVIN: Meanwhile, Peter, also some news being made overnight. President Trump signing another executive order. This one — this one aimed at cutting funding for NPR and PBS. What more can you tell us about that?
PETER ALEXANDER: Craig, you’re right. The President ordering the end of public funding for both public news outlets, which the White House in the past has accused of biased and partisan news coverage and programming. Federal funding notably counts for about 15 percent of PBS’s and one percent of NPR’s budget with the rest largely coming from outside donations, so it’s likely not going to shut down either outlet. But the critics say the cuts could largely impact the communities that rely on local stations and their programming. Notably, this move is all but certainly going to be challenged in court. And, of course, it’s just the latest chapter in President Trump’s clash with the media. We have reached out to NPR and PBS and have not received statements back.
