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Five Ways Trump’s Order to Eliminate NPR and PBS Is an Assault on American Democracy
Late Thursday night, President Trump issued an executive order aiming to eliminate federal funding for NPR and PBS. As a rationale for the move, the White House also released a so-called “fact sheet” detailing what it claimed is evidence of “left-wing propaganda.”
Even if that were true — and it’s not — any government attempt to silence the press based on viewpoint is plainly unconstitutional. Expect this latest Trump order to face a comprehensive legal challenge, similar to other successful efforts in the courts to block illegal actions from the administration.
Trump’s ongoing attacks on public media are part of the administration’s concerted efforts to shut down journalism that displeases the president. Too often commercial outlets, including those controlled by conglomerates like Disney (ABC) and Paramount (CBS), are caving to official pressure, putting their profits before their democratic principles. This is why an independent, publicly funded noncommercial media system — one that holds power accountable — is essential to healthy democracies around the world.
Here are five ways this latest Trump order is an assault on democracy in the United States:
