A federal judge has struck down former President Donald Trump's executive order aimed at cutting federal funding to National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), ruling it unconstitutional.
U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss issued the decision on April 4, 2026, declaring the May 2025 order "unlawful and unenforceable." The order had directed the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to cease funding to the broadcasters, which Trump labeled as "biased media."
"The First Amendment draws a line, which the government may not cross, at efforts to use government power—including the power of the purse—'to punish or suppress disfavored expression' by others," Judge Moss wrote in his ruling.
The court found that the executive order specifically targeted news organizations based on their editorial viewpoints, constituting prohibited viewpoint discrimination under the First Amendment. The ruling emphasized that the government cannot use funding mechanisms to retaliate against media outlets for their coverage.
Trump's order had argued that taxpayer dollars should only support "fair, accurate, unbiased and nonpartisan news coverage," but the judge determined this justification masked unconstitutional targeting of specific broadcasters.
The decision represents a significant legal victory for public broadcasting advocates who argued the funding cuts would undermine independent journalism and educational programming accessible to millions of Americans.