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Donald Trump is gutting everything that the billionaire class can’t make money off of or thinks that the American people don’t need. For years, NPR and PBS have been in the crosshairs of Trump, who seems to hate the idea of educational programming being provided to the American people for free.
Trump is about to make his first move to defund NPR and PBS.
Punchbowl News reported:
The Trump administration will send Congress a rescissions package in the coming weeks that seeks to claw back billions of dollars in funding for PBS and NPR, as well as numerous foreign aid programs and small federal agencies.
The Office of Management and Budget wants to rescind $9.3 billion in funding already approved by Congress, according to a White House official. This includes a portion of funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which was appropriated $535 million in FY2025. Some of that money goes to PBS and NPR, long targets of GOP ire over their progressive programming.
It is not a progressive concept to provide free educational public television to the American people. The children’s programming on PBS could not be considered “progressive.” If the evening programming on PBS, which mostly is dedicated to the history, science, public affairs, culture, and the arts, is considered progressive, then America has some real problems.
During the DOGE subcommittee hearing on cutting NPR and PBS, Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX) said:
My Republican colleagues are dragging in a scapegoat. This time, it’s PBS and NPR to try to distract from the fact that Trump and Musk are robbing working people. It’s Sesame Street that’s making things expensive. It’s. Mr. Rogers that’s blowing taxpayer money. It’s listeners like you. It’s absurd.
The total funding for public broadcasting is just one sixth, the amount that Elon Musk’s companies make off of the government every single year. But you will not see Elon Musk being grilled by this committee. I’ve seen a lot, but pointing the finger at Elmo to cover for Elon Musk might be a new low.
Anything that doesn’t benefit the wealthy is a target, and the American people will have to fight to protect PBS and NPR.
What do you think about Trump and Republicans trying to cut PBS and NPR? Join the discussion in the comments below.
