New York (AP) – The national public radio and three of its local stations filed a lawsuit against the presidentDonald TrumpOn Tuesday, on the pretext that he hasFunding for executive requestTo the network of 246 stations that violate freedom of expression and depends on an authority that he does not possess.
Earlier this month, Trump instructed the Public Broadcasting Company and federal agencies to stop NPR and PBS, either directly or indirectly. The president and his supporters argue that their news reports enhance liberal bias and should not be supported by taxpayers.
Revenge is the purpose of the simple Trump, as it argues the lawsuit. It was submitted in a federal court in Washington by NPR and three Colorado entities – Colorado Public Radio, ISN Public Radio and Kute, Inc. , It was chosen to show the diversity of the system in urban and rural areas.
“By establishing its directives on the essence of NPR programming, the executive order is to force NPR to adapt its press standards and editing options for government preferences if it continues to receive federal funding,” said Catherine Maher, CEO of NPR.
The lawsuit says that Trump targets a private non -profit company
The lawsuit claims that Trump is acting on the public broadcasting company, a private non -profit company created to distribute federal financing to NPR and PBS, which aims to isolate the system from political intervention. Congress allocated $ 535 million annually to CPB for 2025, 2026 and 2027.
In response to the lawsuit, White Harrison Fields, the deputy press secretary of Harrison Fields, said that “CPB creates the media to support a specific political party in the taxpayer,” so Trump was practicing his authority under the law. “The president has been elected with an authorization to ensure the effective use of taxpayers dollars, and he will continue to use his legal authority to achieve this goal,” Fields said.
Trump did not hide his feelings towards NPR, describing him as a “liberal misinformation” in a social media post in April.
The battle of the court appeared to be prior, given that the presidents of NPR and PBSThe reaction of both of them to Trump’s move wasEarlier this month with statements they believed were illegal. The absence of PBS from a file on Tuesday indicates that the two systems will challenge this separately; PBS has not yet gone to court, but it is likely to be soon.
“PBS is studying every option, including legal action, to allow our organization to continue to provide programming and basic services to members and all Americans,” PBS spokesman Jeremy Jins said on Tuesday.
Trump has other legal disputes with news organizations
The president’s attempts to dismantle the government -run news sources such asAmerica’s voiceandEurope Radio/Radio FreedomThe court battles also sparked.
The administration has fought with the press on several fronts. The Federal Communications Committee is investigating ABC, CBS and NBC news. Associated Press alsoGo to courtAfter the administration restricts reaching some events in response to the organization’s decision not to rename the Gulf of Mexico as Trump was issued.
The case says 11 % of the ASPEN PUBLIC RADIO budget is provided by the public broadcasting company. It is 6 % for the General Colorado radio, a network of 19 stations, and 19 % of the Kute budget. This station was founded in 1976 by the Southern Indian tribe.
NPR notes that it is trying to ban individual stations in the NPR system from using any federal money to purchase NPR programming, suchSmall office parties.
The lawsuit said that the matter “interferes directly with the editorial independence by asking them to search for programming elsewhere.”
NPR also says it also provides infrastructure services for hundreds of public radio stations without them, their coverage area will shrink. It also provides the backbone of emergency alert systems throughout the country.
Maher said: “The general broadcast is an indispensable basis for American civil life.” “At its best, our nation reflects itself with all our complexity, contradictions and common topics and links our societies through differences and divisions.”
This story was originally shown on Fortune.com
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