Corporation for Public Broadcasting sues Trump over firings
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The headquarters for National Public Radio (NPR) in D.C. March 26, 2025. Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting on Monday sued President Trump and several administration officials for attempting to fire three members of CPB's board.
Why it matters: The lawsuit adds to rising tensions between CPB and Republicans, who seek to cut funding for America's two biggest public broadcasters, PBS and NPR.
- CPB allocates around $535 million in federal funding annually to NPR and PBS.
- Local member stations rely heavily on that funding, and public broadcast advocates have warned that stripping those funds could put local stations out of business.
- A White House spokesperson said in a statement, "As numerous courts have repeatedly affirmed, the Constitution gives President Trump the power to remove personnel who exercise his executive authority. The Trump Administration looks forward to ultimate victory on the issue."
Zoom in: The lawsuit asks a judge to issue a temporary restraining order that would prohibit administration officials from taking any action to remove CPB board members from their positions, citing its lack of executive authority to do so.
- Defendants listed in the complaint include President Trump; Trent Morse, a deputy director of presidential personnel; the Office of Management and Budget and its director, Russell Vought; the White House Presidential Personnel Office, and its director, Sergio Gor.
What they're saying: "The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is not a government entity, and its board members are not government officers," CPB said in statement.
- "Because C.P.B. is not a federal agency subject to the president's authority, but rather a private corporation, we have filed a lawsuit to block these firings."
Between the lines: CPB was created through a bipartisan act of Congress in 1967. Its board members are nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate.
- Members of CPB's current board were nominated by President Biden.
The big picture: President Trump and Republicans have sought to remove funding for public broadcasters as part of a broader effort to target the media industry.
- The Trump administration reportedly has drafted a memo to Congress outlining its plans to cut federal funding for public broadcasters.
- The CEOs of NPR and PBS have testified at a DOGE subcommittee hearing over what chair Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga. has called content that's biased against Republicans.
- The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is investigating the two public broadcasters over whether their member stations violated FCC rules around airing commercial ads.
What to watch: Other efforts to defund or restrict news entities by the Trump administration have faced challenges in court.
- Earlier this month, a federal judge sided with the Associated Press in its lawsuit against the White House, declaring that under the First Amendment, the government can't bar journalists from certain government events because of their viewpoints.
- Last week, a federal judge ruled that Voice of America workers who were placed on leave or fired should return to work. They added that the Trump administration must restore funding to the VOA and other U.S. government-funded news outlets.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with a White House statement.
