Federal judge rules Trump order ending NPR and PBS funding was unconstitutional | CNN Business

A federal judge on Tuesday ruled that a key part of President Trump’s executive order targeting NPR and PBS was unconstitutional, blocking the administration from denying federal funds based on editorial viewpoint. The ruling will not reverse the Trump-led campaign to strip NPR and PBS stations of federal funding. Last summer, Republicans in Congress rescinded federal support over objections from public media advocates. Nevertheless, the ruling is a First Amendment victory. “Today’s ruling is a decisive affirmation of the rights of a free and independent press — and a win for NPR, our network of stations, and our tens of millions of listeners nationwide,” NPR CEO Katherine Maher said in a statement. “The court made clear that the government cannot use funding as a lever to influence or penalize the press, whether as a national news service or a local newsroom,” Maher said. The ruling could — emphasis on could — lead to some funding for PBS and NPR in the future. That’s because public broadcasters have also received grants from federal agencies in the past. For instance, in May 2025, the Department of Education scrapped $23 million in funding for educational TV s