NPR challenges Trump funding-cut order in court
At a Dec. 4 summary-judgment hearing in Washington, D.C., NPR argued President Trump’s May 1 executive order titled 'Ending Taxpayer Subsidy of Biased Media' unlawfully targeted NPR and PBS for perceived bias and violates the First Amendment, while DOJ countered that the order also reflected a broader desire to stop funding media and that NPR suffered no cognizable harm because Congress later rescinded $1.1 billion in public-media funds. U.S. District Judge Randolph D. Moss expressed skepticism of DOJ’s position, noting an NEA grant to NPR was canceled to align with the decree, and will decide whether to rule now or send the case to trial.
📌 Key Facts
- Judge Randolph D. Moss presided over NPR’s summary-judgment hearing on Dec. 4 in Washington, D.C.
- NPR’s attorney Theodore J. Boutrous argued the order is unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination against public media.
- DOJ attorney Alexander Resar said Trump’s aims included ending media funding generally and that NPR has not been harmed.
- Congress later pulled back $1.1 billion in future public-media funding on a party-line vote.
- The judge cited the National Endowment for the Arts canceling an NPR grant as evidence agencies acted to align with the order.