PBS Sues Trump Administration Over Executive Order Cutting Funding for Public Broadcasting

The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) has filed a lawsuit against United States President Donald Trump following his executive order to cut off federal funding for the national broadcaster, labeling the move as an unconstitutional infringement that could fundamentally disrupt public television across the country. The complaint, brought before a federal court in Washington, D.C., contends that the president’s decision violates the First Amendment by placing presidential authority over the programming choices of PBS and its affiliated stations.

According to court filings submitted by PBS and a Minnesota-based public television station, the executive order, issued on May 1, allegedly seeks to penalize PBS for the content it chooses to air, describing this as “blatant viewpoint discrimination.” The plaintiffs argue that by targeting funding based on content, the administration is effectively attempting to alter the nature of public discourse available on American airwaves.

The controversial order specifically directed the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the tax-funded entity responsible for distributing federal support to public broadcasters, to halt its financial assistance not only to PBS but also to National Public Radio (NPR). All organizations involved are established as nonprofit entities. The lawsuit underscores the potential financial repercussions, with PBS stating that the CPB currently provides about 16 percent of its annual budget, amounting to nearly $60 million out of a total budget of $373.4 million.

The impact extends beyond national operations, as PBS highlighted that local member stations—essential for delivering educational and cultural programming throughout the U.S.—derive approximately 61 percent of PBS's budget through membership dues, much of which can be traced to federal funding channeled via the CPB. PBS officials warn that stripping away these resources would have a cascading effect on local stations’ abilities to continue serving their communities, potentially leading to cuts in programming, staff reductions, or even station closures in rural areas.

In response to the lawsuit, a White House spokesperson stated that the Corporation for Public Broadcasting was “creating media to support a particular political party on the taxpayers’ dime,” justifying the president’s order as an exercise of his lawful authority to limit funding to NPR and PBS. The administration maintains that its actions fall within legal boundaries regarding the allocation of federal funds.

The legal battle over federal support for public broadcasting intensified earlier this week when NPR filed a separate lawsuit on May 27 seeking to block the same executive order. As both PBS and NPR pursue court interventions, the outcome could have far-reaching implications for the future of publicly funded media in the United States.