Donald Trump Sued By NPR Over Executive Order To Cut Nonprofit Broadcaster’s Federal Funding

Donald Trump Sued By NPR Over Executive Order To Cut Nonprofit Broadcaster’s Federal Funding

NPR is officially taking legal action against President Donald Trump.

In a lawsuit filed earlier today (May 27), NPR and three of its member stations argued that an executive order Trump issued earlier this month, cutting the nonprofit broadcaster’s federal fundin,g violates the First Amendment and oversteps Congress’s authority.
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NPR’s legal team wrote in the suit that the order “threatens the existence of a public radio system that millions of Americans across the country rely on for vital news and information.”

The suit continued, adding that it “expressly aims to punish and control Plaintiffs’ news coverage and other speech the Administration deems ‘biased.’”

 

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Founded in 1970, NPR reportedly collaborates with more than 1,000 local member stations nationwide and employs hundreds of journalists. While only about 1% of NPR’s revenue comes directly from the federal government, a significant portion of its funding flows from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to local stations, which then purchase NPR programming.

That structure, shaped during the Reagan administration’s push to scale back direct public media funding, makes up roughly 30% of NPR’s total budget.
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The White House, defending the move, said the CPB “is creating media to support a particular political party on the taxpayers’ dime,” and claimed the order is about ensuring “efficient use of taxpayer dollars.”

NPR’s attorneys see it differently, firing back:

“The Order is textbook retaliation and viewpoint-based discrimination in violation of the First Amendment.”

What are your thoughts?

[VIA]