In March, the heads of NPR and PBS testified in Congress, after which Republicans accused them of liberal bias. The White House wants Congress to take back more than $1 billion allocated to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting over two years. Trump's order instructs the corporation's board of directors to "cancel existing direct funding to the maximum extent permitted by law" and "reject future funding."
However, these broadcasting companies receive only a small portion of their funding from Congress, with the rest coming from donors and sponsors.
As noted by The New York Times, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting is a private organization funded by taxpayers and created by an act of Congress. The program is funded two years in advance to protect it from political maneuvers.
"The Corporation is not a federal executive agency subject to presidential authority," said Patricia Harrison, president and CEO of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, on Friday. "Congress directly authorized and funded CPB as a private nonprofit corporation, completely independent from the federal government."
The order was the latest move by the Trump administration against what it considers biased public media. The White House published a document on its website accompanying the order, criticizing the coverage by the two broadcasting companies of the "Covid-19" pandemic and the story of Hunter Biden, son of former President Joseph Biden.
In a statement, NPR said that the broadcaster's editorial practices and decisions are independent and not influenced by external forces, including political parties. "The elimination of funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting will have a devastating impact on American communities across the country that rely on public radio for reliable local and national news, culture, lifesaving emergency alerts, and public safety information," the statement said.
This week, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, accusing it of an unlawful attempt to dismiss three board members. The administration has provided no justification for the dismissals.
In March, the U.S. Agency for Global Media notified "Radio Free Europe" and "Voice of America" of the termination of funding. In response, the corporations filed lawsuits, and the courts decided to suspend the decisions on funding termination pending review.