Trump Calls for Defunding NPR and PBS as Public Media Leaders Defend Their Value

Amid heightened scrutiny, NPR and PBS leaders testified in Congress, addressing allegations of bias and misuse of taxpayer funds while defending their role in serving underserved communities.

• President Trump renewed his call to defund NPR and PBS, labeling them as biased platforms in a Truth Social post on Wednesday night.
• Republican lawmakers criticized NPR and PBS during a congressional hearing, citing alleged left-wing bias, underrepresentation of political diversity, and editorial decisions such as underreporting the Hunter Biden laptop story.
• NPR CEO Katherine Maher and PBS President Paula Kerger defended their organizations, highlighting their educational programming and support for underserved communities while acknowledging some past editorial missteps.
• Federal funding accounts for a small portion of NPR and PBS budgets, with most support allocated to local stations, which are particularly reliant on these funds in rural areas.
• The FCC investigation into alleged underwriting violations by NPR and PBS is ongoing, adding regulatory challenges to the political efforts to cut public media funding.

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