Trump signed an executive order on May 1, 2025, to eliminate all federal funding for NPR and PBS, characterizing them as 'biased media." In July 2025, Congress voted 216-213 to rescind $1.1 billion in funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting through fiscal year 2027, cutting all federal support for public media. On August 1, 2025, CPB announced it was shutting down operations and eliminating the majority of staff by September 30, 2025.
NPR and three public radio stations filed a First Amendment lawsuit against the administration on May 27, 2025. PBS sued separately on May 30.
The damage cascaded. The Department of Education canceled a $23 million “Ready To Learn” grant for Sesame Street and other PBS Kids programs. PBS Kids laid off 30% of its staff, removed dozens of educational games, and lost its entire team of researchers evaluating children's programming. PBS cut 15% of jobs overall. In January 2026, the CPB board voted to dissolve after 58 years of operation.
On March 31, 2026, Judge Randolph D. Moss issued a 62-page ruling permanently blocking the executive order as unconstitutional. His language was unsparing: “It is difficult to conceive of clearer evidence that a government action is targeted at viewpoints that the President does not like and seeks to squelch.” He wrote that the order “crosses the line” the First Amendment draws against using government power to “punish or suppress disfavored expression.” He added: “The President is entitled to criticize reporting. He may not, however, use governmental power to direct federal agencies to exclude Plaintiffs from receiving federal grants in retaliation for saying things that he does not like.”
The ruling is a landmark First Amendment victory — but it came too late. The CPB is already gone. PBS Kids already lost its staff. The damage is done, and a court order cannot undo it.