Now NPR has teamed up with three other public radio stations to do something about it. In addition, they have sued former president Donald Trump for issuing an illegal Executive Order on May 1, 2025. The order, titled “Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Biased Media,” has raised significant legal concerns as it allegedly violates First Amendment rights and encroaches on Congress’ authority.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington, D.C., aims to hold Trump personally responsible along with other top officials and federal agencies. And it reaches carefully through other legal arguments to assert, in the alternative, that the executive order is no good. The complaint alleges this violates the First Amendment protections for speech and the press.
Trump’s order of May 1 would cut off all taxpayer funding to media outlets that the administration considers “too liberal.” Critics argue that this directive is intended to intimidate free speech. They think it’s an intent to go after the news organizations that have been critical of the administration. The legal complaint asserts that the order “expressly aims to punish and control Plaintiffs’ news coverage and other speech the Administration deems ‘biased,’” highlighting the potential implications for journalistic independence.
Unsurprisingly, the White House’s decision to post the order on its official website was met with swift opposition from major media outlets. NPR and its co-plaintiffs contend that the executive order severely threatens their ability to operate. They say it goes beyond what Congress intended, as only Congress has the power to appropriate federal dollars.
The plaintiffs underscore that this lawsuit is necessary. The latter, because they want to protect their rights and defend the fundamental underpinnings of our democracy—free speech and a free press. They argue that Trump’s order is a serious new threat to press freedom, allowing for possible federal government censorship of independent reporting.