NPR and three member stations sued President Donald Trump on Tuesday over his executive order halting all federal funding for the nonprofit broadcaster. The lawsuit, filed in a Washington, D.C. federal court, alleges that Trump’s May 1 order violates the First Amendment and Congress’s constitutional spending authority.
NPR, along with Colorado Public Radio, Aspen Public Radio, and KSUT, argues the order seeks to punish news coverage the administration deems "biased" and threatens the future of public radio relied upon by millions.
The executive order declares public funding for news outlets outdated and corrosive to journalistic independence. NPR counters that federal funds support independent journalism and that Congress has long upheld protections for publicly funded speech.
NPR says only 1% of its funding comes directly from federal sources, but member station fees, largely federally funded, make up nearly a third.
