House Votes to Defund Public Broadcasting: $1.1 Billion in CPB Funding Rescinded. NPR and PBS, recipients of CPB funds, are already suing to prevent funding cuts, following previous attempts by the Trump administration to defund public media. This vote is part of a broader effort to curtail funding for organizations viewed unfavorably by the administration
President Trump addresses reporters before departing on Air Force One from Morristown, New Jersey, April 27, 2025. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
House Votes to Cut $1.1 Billion in Public Broadcasting Funding. A narrow 214-212 vote approved the rescission, part of a broader $9.4 billion request targeting federal spending, including an $8.3 billion cut to the U.S. Agency for International Development. This action follows previous attempts to defund public media outlets like NPR and PBS
House Votes to Defund Public Broadcasting in Latest Trump Administration Media Crackdown. This $1.1 billion funding cut for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), impacting NPR and PBS, is part of a broader pattern of actions targeting media outlets deemed critical of the Trump administration. This includes lawsuits, favoring partisan voices, and attempts to silence federally funded media
Trump's administration waged a multi-pronged attack on media outlets deemed unfavorable, including lawsuits against news organizations, promoting partisan voices in the White House press corps, and attempting to defund public broadcasters like Voice of America and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). This aggressive strategy, encompassing FCC investigations and escalating rhetoric against critical media, reflects a broader effort to silence dissenting voices
Trump administration's FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr investigated multiple news outlets, threatening CBS's multi-billion dollar merger over a past interview with Vice President Harris. This action is part of a broader pattern of targeting media perceived as unfavorable to the President
President Trump escalated his attacks on the media, labeling pollsters from the New York Times, ABC News, Washington Post, and Fox News as "negative criminals" demanding an "ELECTION FRAUD" investigation. This follows recent polls showing his negative approval ratings
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Trump's $20 Billion Lawsuit Against CBS: Deceptive Editing, Merger Fallout, and FCC Scrutiny. President Trump sued CBS, alleging deceptive editing of a "60 Minutes" interview with Vice President Harris concerning the Israel-Hamas conflict. This lawsuit, impacting CBS's multi-billion-dollar merger with Skydance, prompted FCC review and accusations of Paramount leadership meddling in Trump coverage. Following "challenging" months and reported settlement talks aiming for a $25 million+ payout and apology, key CBS News figures departed, citing concerns over editorial independence. The ongoing legal battle highlights Trump's broader campaign against media outlets he deems unfavorable
FTC Investigates Media Matters: Political Targeting or Legitimate Scrutiny? The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is investigating Media Matters for America, a liberal advocacy group, for potential coordination with other organizations to pressure companies to stop advertising on Elon Musk's X. This comes as Musk separately sues Media Matters for defamation. Media Matters President Angela Carusone alleges this probe is politically motivated, echoing past accusations of the Trump administration targeting and silencing critics. The investigation raises questions about free speech, political influence, and the role of media advocacy groups
PBS and NPR Sue Trump to Block Public Broadcasting Funding Cuts: Following a House vote to rescind $1.1 billion in CPB funding, PBS and NPR filed lawsuits against President Trump to prevent the termination of federal funding. Trump's May 2nd order directed the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to cease funding, spurred by FCC investigations into potential advertising violations. These investigations, along with the funding cuts, threaten the essential services provided by PBS and NPR to American communities. The CPB also sought a temporary restraining order to block Trump from removing board members, highlighting a legal battle over the President's authority. This action is part of a broader pattern of Trump administration targeting media outlets perceived as unfavorable
FCC Chair Brendan Carr's Investigations: Threats to Media Freedom and Public Broadcasting Funding? Carr, echoing Trump's criticism of news coverage, has launched multiple probes into media organizations, including NPR, PBS, Comcast, and a San Francisco radio station. His actions, which include threats to revoke broadcast licenses and block mergers based on DEI initiatives, raise concerns about censorship and free speech. While the FCC lacks jurisdiction over cable networks and faces legal limitations on license revocation, Carr's aggressive stance and the ongoing funding battle for public broadcasting highlight a significant clash between the administration and the media. This escalating conflict involves challenges to both broadcast licenses and merger approvals, raising critical questions about media independence and regulatory oversight
Trump Administration's Attack on Voice of America: Mass Firings and Funding Cuts
Following a controversial partnership with One America News Network, Voice of America (VOA), a US government-funded international broadcaster, faced mass layoffs affecting roughly one-third of its workforce. This action, part of a broader Trump administration effort to silence critical media, followed a court order to restore funding and rehire staff previously dismissed. The administration's actions, deemed potentially unconstitutional, targeted VOA, Radio Free Asia, and the Middle East Broadcasting Network, impacting over 1,300 employees and contractors. The VOA, with a $260 million annual budget and a reach of over 350 million people across 40+ languages, was established in 1942 to counter Nazi propaganda. This incident is one of several attacks on federally funded media outlets, highlighting a pattern of targeting news organizations deemed critical of the administration. The legal battle continues, with ongoing lawsuits challenging the administration's actions and attempts to defund public broadcasting
The White House has attempted to bar the Associated Press from accessing some spaces, such as the Oval Office and Air Force One, after it refused to rename the “Gulf of Mexico” to the “Gulf of America” in its style guide. The Associated Press then sued the Trump administration over the blockade, and Judge Trevor McFadden ruled in the AP’s favor earlier this month, though Trump has appealed the ruling.
The White House also eliminated a permanent spot in the press pool reserved for wire services and instead put the AP, Bloomberg and Reuters in a rotation for two “print” slots, along with 31 other outlets. The Trump administration announced in February it would decide which journalists are allowed in the White House press pool, breaking a years-long tradition in which the independent White House Correspondents’ Association coordinated the pool, made up of 13 journalists from a rotating group of outlets who travel with the president and share their reporting with other media outlets. The Trump administration has also set up a “new media” seat in the briefing room that’s offered to outlets that don’t have a permanent spot, such as Forbes, though it often hosts non-traditional media such as podcast hosts and social media personalities.
Trump and his companies have filed multiple lawsuits against media organizations prior to his winning a second term. Trump Media & Technology Group, the parent company for Trump’s Truth Social platform, filed a $1.5 billion lawsuit against 20 media organizations, including Forbes, The Guardian, Reuters, Axios and MSNBC, in November 2023, alleging they defamed him by incorrectly reporting that Truth Social lost $73 million from its launch in early 2022 through mid 2023. Many outlets, including Forbes, corrected their stories to say Truth Social had lost $31.6 million since its inception.
In January 2023, Trump sued journalist Bob Woodward, publisher Simon & Schuster and parent company Paramount Global for nearly $50 million, claiming Woodward published recordings of his interviews with Trump for his book “Rage” without Trump’s permission. Trump in December also sued the Des Moines Register, its parent company, Gannett, and its former pollster, Ann Selzer, over a Selzer poll shortly before the election that found Trump would lose Iowa by three to four points, only for him to win the state by 13 points. Trump alleged the poll amounted to election interference and a violation of the Iowa Consumer Fraud Act. The paper and Selzer filed motions to dismiss the suit in February, and the Register alleged the law only applies to “consumer merchandise,” and there’s no evidence Trump ever purchased anything from the paper.
Trump has had mixed results in his legal battles with the press. He settled with ABC News last year in a lawsuit Trump filed when anchor George Stephanopolos said Trump was found liable for “rape” when a jury found him liable for sexually assaulting writer E. Jean Carroll. The network agreed to donate $15 million to Trump’s presidential library and issue a statement of regret as part of the settlement. A judge in July 2023 dismissed a case he filed against CNN over its use of the term “the big lie” to refer to his false claims he won the 2020 election and alleged comparisons between Trump and Hitler.
F.C.C. Chair Orders Investigation Into NPR and PBS Sponsorships (New York Times)
Which media companies has Donald Trump sued? (Reuters)
‘60 Minutes’ Chief Resigns in Emotional Meeting: ‘The Company Is Done With Me’ (New York Times)
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