NPR and three public radio stations have filed a federal lawsuit against President Donald Trump over an executive order that cuts off their federal funding. The suit, filed May 27 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, claims the order violates the First Amendment and the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967. At its core, the lawsuit argues that the Trump administration is retaliating against NPR for producing content the president dislikes.
The lawsuit targets Executive Order 14290, titled Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Biased Media, which directs all federal agencies, including the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), to stop funding NPR and PBS. The administration accuses the networks of promoting partisan views. Plaintiffs include NPR, Aspen Public Radio, Colorado Public Radio, and KSUT Public Radio. They argue that the order is both unconstitutional and an attempt to dismantle a nonpartisan system serving 99% of Americans.
The plaintiffs describe a pattern of hostility from Trump, citing months of public attacks, including social media posts calling to “defund” NPR and PBS, and a White House statement claiming, “THE NPR, PBS GRIFT HAS RIPPED US OFF FOR TOO LONG.” They allege the executive order is the culmination of this rhetoric and represents an effort to chill free speech by punishing unfavorable news coverage.
The lawsuit highlights that federal law has long protected NPR and other public media from political interference, and that pulling funds based on editorial content goes against decades of bipartisan support. The order also seeks to block not only direct federal funding but also indirect support, such as grants used by local stations to license NPR or PBS content.
Further actions cited in the complaint include efforts to remove three CPB board members and to cancel a $36 million grant supporting the Public Radio Satellite System. Plaintiffs say these moves jeopardize emergency broadcasting infrastructure and threaten local stations’ survival—especially in underserved regions.
KSUT, for example, serves tribal and rural communities in four states and is the only free public radio option across a 27,000-square-mile area. Aspen Public Radio broadcasts more than 90 hours of NPR content weekly.
The plaintiffs are asking the court to declare the executive order unconstitutional, block enforcement, and stop future funding cuts motivated by political bias.