National Public Radio and three of its member stations in Colorado are suing the Trump administration over a new executive order that would cut off federal funding for public media organizations.
The lawsuit was filed in federal court and challenges President Donald Trump’s executive order titled “Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Biased Media.” The order claims federal support for news outlets is outdated and should not go to what it describes as “biased” or “partisan” reporting.
The plaintiffs — NPR, Aspen Public Radio, Colorado Public Radio and KSUT — argue the order is unconstitutional and violates long-established federal protections for public broadcasting.
They are asking the court to strike down the order, block its enforcement, and preserve public media funding — support they argue is not only longstanding, but required by law under the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967.
Attorney Ted Boutros, who represents NPR, said the order infringes on First Amendment rights and defies legal protections meant to ensure editorial independence from political interference.
“The Supreme Court said that because local stations are the bedrock of the system, their independence from government interference and control must be fully guaranteed,” Boutros said. “And this executive order violates that basic principle of the statute in the First Amendment.”
The lawsuit names Trump, the Office of Management and Budget, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the National Endowment for the Arts and each agency’s top officials as defendants.
The lawsuit claims the executive order threatens legal protections that keep public media independent from political influence.
