According to Deep Tide TechFlow, on May 5, former U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order late on May 4 to cut public subsidies for NPR and PBS on the grounds of 'reporting bias.' NPR CEO Katherine Maher and PBS CEO Paula Kerger announced they would challenge the executive order legally, stating it is 'clearly illegal.'
Public Broadcasting Company CEO Patricia Harrison stated that the White House has no legal jurisdiction over these companies. NPR called the order an offense against the First Amendment. Maher emphasized that the funding cuts will have the greatest impact on local stations and their audiences. Trump has previously attempted multiple times to cut public broadcasting budgets, labeling NPR as a 'liberal misinformation machine.'
