Sen Cory Booker uses West Wing clip to justify funding PBS, NPR

In a post on X, Booker wrote, “Public broadcasters like PBS and NPR give every American access to culture, history, art, and trusted journalism. They’re a cornerstone of civic life. Defunding them does a disservice to us all, especially in rural communities. We must defend them.”

Booker’s post also included a clip from The West Wing, in which a character defends government funding for PBS by highlighting its broad appeal across audiences of varying economic and racial backgrounds.

Trump signed the executive order Thursday, directing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to halt federal financial support to NPR and PBS. The order accused the two outlets of lacking journalistic neutrality and suggested public subsidies are no longer needed in the current media environment.

“Unlike in 1967, when CPB was established, today the media landscape is filled with abundant, diverse, and innovative news options, making government funding of news media outdated, unnecessary, and corrosive to journalistic independence,” the White House said in a statement alongside the order.

The order also directed the Department of Health and Human Services to investigate whether NPR and PBS are complying with federal anti-discrimination laws and to take any necessary corrective actions.

Critics of the order have raised questions about the president’s authority to defund public broadcasters via executive action, noting that funding decisions rest with Congress. The order is likely to face legal challenges in the coming weeks.