On May 1, Donald Trump took out his novelty-sized marker and scrawled his jagged signature on another stupid and legally baseless “executive order.”
This one claims to zero out federal funding for National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting System (PBS).
Why is Trump — like so many Republicans before him — attacking NPR and PBS?
- Because Trumpists are desperate to eliminate any source of objective news that honestly reports on the stupid, cruel, and illegal things the regime is doing.
- Because Trumpists can’t stand how programs like Sesame Street and Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood teach kids that it is OK to have feelings and to be empathetic.
- Because Trumpists know that a thriving, independent public media system — a xxxxxx of democracy — is fundamentally at odds with their project of autocracy, corruption, and power.
For decades, Republicans have been ranting about money going to NPR and PBS. Never mind that the amount of funding for public radio and television is not even a drop in the bucket of overall federal spending. And never mind that those same Republicans are — as we speak — actively plotting to increase the Pentagon’s budget by tens of billions of dollars.
Now, Congress specifically set up the nation’s public broadcasting to NOT be under the control of any president. But Trump is trying to assert control anyway.
Tell Congress:
There is utterly no good reason to eliminate federal funding for NPR and PBS. And Donald Trump has no authority to unilaterally do so regardless. We call on every member of Congress — those whose hearts have not hardened into gravelly nuggets of grievance and insecurity, at any rate — to do everything in their power to assert Congress’ rightful control over federal funding for public broadcasting and to save NPR and PBS from the illegal MAGA buzzsaw.
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For progress,
- Lisa Gilbert & Robert Weissman, Co-Presidents of Public Citizen
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