Trump urges Republicans to defund NPR, PBS
President Trump on Thursday renewed a call to defund NPR and PBS a day after top executives from the public broadcasters faced an intense grilling from GOP lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
'NPR and PBS, two horrible and completely biased platforms (Networks!), should be DEFUNDED by Congress, IMMEDIATELY,' Trump wrote late Wednesday on Truth Social. 'Republicans, don't miss this opportunity to rid our Country of this giant SCAM, both being arms of the Radical Left Democrat Party. JUST SAY NO AND, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!'
Republicans on the House Oversight's Delivering on Government Efficiency subcommittee peppered NPR CEO Katherine Maher and PBS President Paula Kerger on Wednesday with accusations of bias against conservatives and questions about their funding.
NPR took in just over $11 million in federal funding last year, money Maher said is crucial to bringing public broadcasting to local communities, particularly in rural swaths of the country.
But the GOP line of attack, led by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) focused on the outlet's so called 'woke' editorial bend and suggestions from lawmakers that NPR and PBS have been outpaced by technological advancements in the media business.
Several lawmakers knocked NPR specifically over its reporting on the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic and scandal around the laptop of former President Biden's son Hunter Biden — stories its chief executive on Wednesday acknowledged the outlet mishandled.
'Every single day, private businesses operate without government funding,' Greene told the heads of the public broadcasters. 'You all can hate us on your own dime.'
A new Pew Research Center study out this week found a plurality of Americans say the federal government should continue to fund public broadcasters. The same survey found 32 percent of Democrats regularly get news from NPR, compared with 9 percent of Republicans.
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He only cares about the next money making opportunity, not law and order, justice, the Constitution, or keeping the guilty in jail. And most assuredly not you and me." —d icard 5."Even MAGA people on Fox and Breitbart are exploding over this. They hate this idea. Democrats need to keep the topic of Trump possibly pardoning Diddy front and center. Talk about it whenever they can. Keep it in the headlines." —TACO Trump 6."He says, 'I would certainly look at the facts.' And then what? Ignore them like he did with the results of the 2020 election? It used to be that if you wanted to win a high political office, you had to have character. Now all it takes (at least if you're a Republican) is to be a character." —Carl Olson 7."'You are the company you keep' has never been more true than as it relates to these two." —kylemcgee Related: 23 Cute, Happy, And Wholesome Posts I Saw On The Internet This Week That You Absolutely Need To See 8."There is no justice system if anyone can simply prove love to their president and get a pardon." —Cory Crete "Pardons are now for sale." —James Gettings 9."Well, being liked is obviously the most important factor in any pardon." —Les Vogt 10."This isn't just grotesque; it's the rot made visible. Trump floating a pardon for a man indicted for sex trafficking, while reminiscing about party invitations and wounded egos, is less a statement of justice than a confession of moral bankruptcy. It's not about innocence or guilt — it's about whether someone 'used to really like' him." 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That's the overriding reality that has made Trump who he is — an immensely insecure, flawed man." —David Hardy 14."'When you're president you do what's right.' I can't believe he said that because he certainly doesn't abide by that whatsoever." —Jenny Tayla 15."Whenever he talks about anyone — and I mean anyone — he always comments on if that person likes him or not. Narcissistic dictator." —whatever19 16."I pray that Trump does not pardon Diddy. He's just as bad as Jeffrey Epstein and R. Kelly." —smileyzombie492 17."Trump is sans empathy. He is a woman-hating dumpster fire." —jamesnylan finally, "At least he didn't say he would. I was relieved to not read even that. The bar is low. 😭" —goldenovercoat28 The article people commented on originally appeared on HuffPost. Some replies have been edited for length and clarity. Also in Internet Finds: Lawyers Are Sharing Their Juiciest "Can You Believe It?!" 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