PBS Sues Trump Administration Over Funding Cut Directive (2)

The Public Broadcasting Service said President Donald Trump’s executive order directing the end of its taxpayer subsidies violates the First Amendment and federal law, according to a new lawsuit Friday.

Trump’s May 1 executive order violates its constitutional protections for freedom of speech and freedom of the press as well as the Administrative Procedure Act, PBS says in its complaint in the US District Court for the District of Columbia. PBS alleges that Trump is retaliating against it due to “perceived political slights in news coverage.”

The executive order “makes no attempt to hide the fact that it is cutting off the flow of funds to PBS because of the content of PBS programming and out of a desire to alter the content of speech,” the plaintiffs said.

The US Department of Justice didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

The lawsuit comes days after National Public Radio Inc. and others sued Trump in the district court over the same executive order, which seeks to cut off their funding. Trump’s “Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Biased Media” order argues that publicly funded media is both “outdated and unnecessary but corrosive to the appearance of journalistic independence.”

PBS says it and its member stations will be significantly harmed by the executive order since its budget relies on a large portion federal funding to run its operation. Of its roughly $373 million PBS has budgeted for 2025, at least 22% of it comes directly from certain federal agencies while 61% comes from PBS member station dues, which includes millions of dollars in federal funds, the complaint says.

The public station also argues that the executive order is contrary to its founding legislation, the Public Broadcasting Act, since it won’t be able to carry out its congressionally approved mission without federal funds.

PBS and co-plaintiff Northern Minnesota Public Television Inc. want the district court to declare Trump’s funding cuts to PBS and restrictions on federal funding to PBS member stations unlawful and unconstitutional, the complaint says. They also seek an injunction to block Trump or any other federal agencies from implementing the executive order.

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP represents the plaintiffs.

The case is Pub. Broad. Serv. v. Trump, D.D.C., No. 1:25-cv-01722, complaint 5/30/25.