PBS sues Trump administration over funding cut executive order

The lawsuit comes just days after NPR filed a similar suit over President Donald Trump's executive order that bans federal funding to the outlet and PBS.

Published: May 30, 2025 5:33pm

PBS sued the Trump administration on Friday, alleging it sought to end federal funding for the outlet because it included coverage the administration does not agree with. 

The lawsuit comes just days after NPR filed a similar suit over President Donald Trump's executive order that bans federal funding to the outlet and PBS.

The suit, filed in federal court in Washington, D.C., argues that the order violates the First Amendment and provisions of the Public Broadcasting Act. It also claims Trump does not have the power to pull the funding, which is overseen by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

“After careful deliberation, PBS reached the conclusion that it was necessary to take legal action to safeguard public television’s editorial independence, and to protect the autonomy of PBS member stations," the outlet told The Hill.

NPR receives about 1% of its annual revenues from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public radio stations receive approximately 8-10% of their revenues from the corporation each year on average.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.

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