Because apparently, Ken Burns is more dangerous than Vladimir Putin.
In the wee hours of the morning—when most Americans are sleeping or watching Antiques Roadshow reruns—Donald J. Trump slithered out of his golden lair to sign yet another executive order. This time? A hilariously overreaching, blatantly unconstitutional attempt to cut off federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), National Public Radio (NPR), and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). He’s hoping the repression will not be televised.
Yes, you read that right. Trump has officially declared war on Big Bird. We knew this was coming.
A Thin-Skinned Autocrat’s Latest Grudge Match
Let’s be honest: this stunt has absolutely nothing to do with “saving taxpayer money.” It has everything to do with silencing critics and gutting any media that dares to report facts rather than flatter his ego. Trump has spent his entire political career railing against “fake news” while trying to build a media ecosystem that functions more like a fan club than a press corps.
PBS, NPR, and the hundreds of local stations they support don’t play along. They don’t bend the knee. So Trump, as always, lashes out.
Spoiler Alert: The President Can’t Cancel the Budget
Despite what Trump’s executive order might imply, the President of the United States cannot simply wave a Sharpie and cancel congressional appropriations. Public broadcasting funds are approved by Congress, not conjured from Mar-a-Lago. If Trump thinks this executive order has legal standing, then someone really ought to read him the Constitution—preferably in picture book format.
This is a textbook abuse of executive authority. And just like the man who signed it, it’s performative, petty, and destined to be swatted down in court.
The President’s order is an affront to the First Amendment rights of NPR and locally owned and operated stations throughout America to produce and air programming that meets the needs of their communities. It is also an affront to the First Amendment rights of station listeners and donors who support independent news and information.
– Katherine Maher, NPR President and CEO
Weaponizing the FCC—Because That’s Never Gone Wrong Before
In a particularly greasy flourish, Trump’s order also calls on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to initiate investigations into public broadcasters. The nature of these investigations? Undefined. The justification? Pure fantasy. The goal? Intimidation.
This is not regulation—it’s retaliation. Trump wants to bury independent media outlets under bogus red tape and legal bills, hoping they’ll go away quietly. But public media doesn’t scare easy. Especially when the “investigator” in question is FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr, a Trump loyalist who makes no secret of his desire to muzzle critical journalism.
The repression will not be televised.
News Flash: CPB Isn’t Part of Your Cabinet, Donny
Someone should let Trump know that the Corporation for Public Broadcasting is an independent agency. That means it’s not subject to presidential orders or MAGA manifestos scribbled at 2 a.m. with ketchup-stained stationery. Ordering the CPB around is like trying to fire your neighbor’s dog—it’s not your call, and it just makes you look ridiculous.
“CPB is not a federal executive agency subject to the President’s authority. Congress directly authorized and funded CPB to be a private nonprofit corporation wholly independent of the federal government.
– CPB Press Release, May 2, 2025
“In creating CPB, Congress expressly forbade ‘any department, agency, officer, or employee of the United States to exercise any direction, supervision, or control over educational television or radio broadcasting, or over [CPB] or any of its grantees or contractors…’ 47 U.S.C. § 398(c).”
The Bigger Picture: Trump’s Ongoing War on the Press
This latest attack is just one chapter in Trump’s long, tedious saga of media vendettas. Over the years, he’s threatened broadcast licenses, harassed journalists, weaponized lawsuits, and peddled propaganda at taxpayer expense. He doesn’t just dislike a free press—he fears it. Because it tells the truth.
And public broadcasting? That’s the gold standard of independent journalism. Trump would rather see it burned to the ground than admit that PBS NewsHour has more credibility than his Truth Social feed.
Conclusion: Don’t Bet Against Big Bird
If Trump thinks he can silence public media with a temper tantrum and a Sharpie, he’s about to learn something the hard way: Americans believe in public broadcasting. We believe in fair, factual journalism, and we believe that kids deserve Sesame Street, not state-run TV.
So go ahead, Mr. Ex-President. Pick a fight with Mister Rogers’ ghost. The rest of us will be over here—supporting journalism, defending the First Amendment, and making sure Big Bird still has a nest.
The repression will not be televised.
