The reporter asking the question notes that every Republican president has made noise about defunding NPR and PBS. This editor remembers very well the 2012 election and the accusation that Mitt Romney was going to "kill Big Bird." And that was an effective line of attack, as was "women in binders." The 2012 campaign was something else.
A reporter today asked President Trump about DOGE investigating waste and fraud at NPR and PBS and whether he supported taking taxpayer money away from the two organizations. Trump said he'd be honored if it happened, citing their obvious bias.
REPORTER: Would you be interested in defunding and taking away taxpayer dollars to NPR and PBS?@POTUS: "I would love to do that. I think it's very unfair, it's been very biased — the whole group... the kind of money that's being wasted, and it's a very biased view." pic.twitter.com/hegd05Zxr8
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 25, 2025
What makes him say they're very biased? Remember last spring when NPR’s CEO Katherine Maher said, "Our reverence for the truth might be a distraction that’s getting in the way of finding common ground and getting things done.” ("Our reverence for the truth" … right.)
Here she is speaking about her seven years at Wikipedia:
Remember when NPR's CEO said, "Truth is a distraction from getting things done." ?
— The Conservative Alternative (@OldeWorldOrder) March 25, 2025
I remember.pic.twitter.com/lmUycssRs2
You've obviously seen PBS say that they can't do what they do without the support of the taxpayers, but that taxes are a very tiny percentage of their revenue. So which is it?
Defund wokeness
— Constitutionalist (@RightVet23) March 25, 2025
Do it, DOGE!
— Jacqueline Connor (@Thatwasclose2) March 25, 2025
Will the second Trump administration be remembered for actually getting things done?
I grew up on both and its awful what they have become...
— lpnMcKee (@homehospice4mum) March 25, 2025
Why are we paying for propaganda that hates us?
— Baste Records (@basterecords) March 25, 2025
PBS: “Brought to you by viewers like you.”
— ChatterSpout ⭐ (@chatterspout) March 25, 2025
Taxpayers: “Wait, we didn’t vote for this."
Give the people their money back.
— UpNorth ☀️ (@MainBrainStrain) March 25, 2025
@elonmusk Fingers crossed @DOGE makes the recommendation that NPR and PBS lose all taxpayer funds.
— Politicsamong (@politicsamong) March 25, 2025
Trump cancelling Sesame Street coming in ... 3... 2... 1...🧨
— Brad Hollister INVESTOR (@Hollister_Brad) March 25, 2025
Last December, Warner Bros. Discovery announced that it would not be renewing its agreement to finance the production or air new episodes of "Sesame Street" on Max, but Max would continue to license episodes from the "Sesame Street" library through 2027. So blame the private market for killing "Sesame Street."
I listen to NPR every day in the car just to get a small dose of Radical Left Wing propaganda and it's bewildering that they can promote the overtly left wing trash on a publicly funded network.
— Jannas (@paradigmsniffs) March 25, 2025
Is it required for Americas survival?
— DadofHalls (@DadofHalls) March 25, 2025
Defund.
Come on, DOGE, make it happen. It long past time that NPR and PBS stood on their own two feet if they want to be leftist propaganda outlets.
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