A federal judge on Tuesday ruled that President Donald Trump’s executive order ending federal funding for National Public Radio and Public Broadcasting Service is unconstitutional.
In a 62-page opinion, U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss for the District of Columbia ruled that the executive order, issued in May 2025, violated the First Amendment of the Constitution by perpetrating “viewpoint discrimination and retaliation of this type.” Moss, an Obama appointee, called the executive order “unlawful and unenforceable.”
The judge noted that any relief with respect to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting would not help NPR or PBS because the agency “no longer exists.” However, the judge’s order on Tuesday precluded the Trump administration from terminating any direct or indirect funding of NPR or PBS, pursuant to that May executive order.
“Although there are many lawful reasons that the government might decline to make ‘a valuable governmental benefit’ available to someone, punishing disfavored private speech is not one of them,” Moss wrote.
Trump’s executive order accused the news outlets of being “biased,” with the White House alleging they “fueled partisanship and left-wing propaganda with taxpayer dollars.” Both NPR and PBS denied those allegations and vowed to fight the defunding.
Recommended
Julianne McShane
Julianne McShane is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW who also covers the politics of abortion and reproductive rights. You can send her tips from a non-work device on Signal at jmcshane.19 or follow her on X or Bluesky.
Lisa Rubin
Lisa Rubin is MS NOW’s senior legal reporter and a former litigator.
© 2026 Versant Media, LLC
