Judge Randolph Moss of the U.S. District Court for Washington, D.C., ruled on Tuesday (March 31) that President Donald Trump cannot withdraw funding from the television network PBS and the radio network NPR.
According to Entertainment Weekly, which had access to the ruling, Trump’s order to cut funding to NPR and PBS violates the broadcasters’ free speech rights.
“The First Amendment draws a line that the government may not cross when it comes to using governmental power, including financial power, ‘to punish or suppress disfavored speech’ of others,” Judge Moss wrote.
The ruling states that both NPR and PBS no longer need to apply for “any federal benefit” as a result of the president’s decisions.
Moss wrote that the order “singles out two specific broadcasters and, based on their speech, prevents them from participating in all programs funded by the federal government.”
The ruling comes after Donald Trump issued an executive order in May 2025 to cut funding for the broadcasters. The Republican claimed that “NPR and PBS have fueled partisanship and left-wing propaganda with taxpayer money.”
Abigail Jackson, a White House spokesperson, told Entertainment Weekly that the ruling is “a ridiculous decision by an activist judge trying to undermine the law.”
“The Trump administration expects to prevail in the end,” she added.
PBS is known for its programming of documentaries, news broadcasts, and educational shows, such as “Sesame Street.” NPR produces and distributes its content to a network of 900 public radio stations across the United States
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Source and images: Wikimedia Commons. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
