Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed his views on defunding NPR and PBS. In March 2025, he labeled both networks as “biased” and a “waste of taxpayer money.”
Defund NPR and PBS! pic.twitter.com/wOSi7YIH8o
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) March 27, 2025
During a White House press conference on March 25, 2025, when asked if he would like to end government funding for NPR and PBS, Trump responded, “I’d love to do it. I think it’s very unfair. They’re totally biased.” He added, “They cost more than any other network, and that money’s being wasted, especially for a very biased perspective.”
REPORTER: Would you be interested in defunding and taking away taxpayer dollars to NPR and PBS?@POTUS: “I would love to do that. I think it’s very unfair, it’s been very biased — the whole group… the kind of money that’s being wasted, and it’s a very biased view.” pic.twitter.com/hegd05Zxr8
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 25, 2025
Additionally, in a late-night Truth Social post on March 27, 2025, Trump called NPR and PBS “weapons of the radical left Democrat Party” and urged Congress to “immediately” defund them. He wrote, “Republicans, don’t miss this chance, free the country from this huge scam.”
Trump believes these networks lack impartiality and don’t deserve government funding, arguing that the media market already offers plenty of coverage. These statements reflect his long-standing stance, evident during his first term when he also attempted to eliminate funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).