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A federal judge permanently blocked this Tuesday the executive order from President Donald Trump that aimed to eliminate federal funding for National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), in a ruling that represents a significant setback for the administration.
The judge Randolph Moss of the United States District Court in Washington D.C. issued a 62-page ruling declaring the presidential directive illegal, determining that it violates the First Amendment of the Constitution by constituting viewpoint discrimination and retaliation against both media outlets for their journalistic coverage, according to the agency AP.
The executive order in question, titled Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Biased Media (EO 14290), was signed by Trump on May 1, 2025 and directed the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and all federal agencies to cease direct and indirect funding to NPR and PBS.
Trump justified the measure by arguing that both outlets spread "radical and woke propaganda" and that public funding is outdated in a diverse media landscape.
Judge Moss rejected the arguments of the Department of Justice and determined that the order crossed a constitutional line by using "the power of the purse" to punish speech that the president disapproves of. This ruling regarding funding for media.
In his ruling, the magistrate noted that the measure "targets two broadcasters and, based on their speech, prohibits them from participating in all federally funded programs." The director of the CPB had described Trump's executive order as flagrantly illegal from the moment it was signed.
The legal battle intensified after NPR filed a lawsuit on May 27, 2025 against the administration. This offensive against public media is part of a broader strategy that also included mass layoffs at Voice of America.
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