A bombshell poll has ignited a firestorm across the internet: Do you support President Trump signing an executive order to cut off taxpayer funding for NPR and PBS? The question, posted on June 6, 2025, comes amidst a wave of controversy following Trump’s $3 trillion federal funding freeze, which has already threatened programs like Medicaid and school lunches. Now, with public media in the crosshairs, the debate has exploded on Threads, where hashtags like #DefundNPR and #SavePBS are trending as users clash over whether this is a bold move to dismantle “leftist propaganda” or a dangerous attack on free press. “Trump’s finally draining the swamp—NPR’s done!” one viral post cheered, while another warned, “This is how dictators start—silence the media!” The poll, amplified by recent political drama in South Carolina, has turned a policy question into a cultural battleground, and everyone’s picking a side.
Trump’s push to defund NPR and PBS isn’t new—he’s been railing against public media since his first term, calling them “government-funded propaganda” and accusing them of liberal bias. In 2024, his campaign promised to redirect taxpayer dollars to “America First” priorities, and now, with a second term underway, he appears ready to act. NPR and PBS, which receive about $535 million annually from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB)—roughly 15% of their budgets—rely on federal funding to support local stations, educational programming like Sesame Street, and investigative journalism. Trump’s allies argue that these outlets have a clear anti-MAGA slant, pointing to NPR’s coverage of the 2020 election and PBS’s documentaries on climate change as evidence of “woke indoctrination.” On X, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt doubled down, saying, “Taxpayers shouldn’t foot the bill for biased media—NPR and PBS can survive on their own or die trying.”
The proposal has sparked fierce backlash from Democrats and media advocates. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called it “a blatant assault on the First Amendment,” arguing that defunding public media would gut rural stations and leave millions without access to educational content. A 2024 study by the CPB found that 70% of NPR’s audience relies on its local stations for emergency alerts, while PBS reaches 97% of U.S. households with free educational programming. Critics on Threads have been relentless, with one viral post reading, “Trump wants to kill Sesame Street—what’s next, banning Big Bird for being too woke?” The hashtag #SavePBS has gained traction among liberals, who see the move as part of a broader MAGA war on independent journalism. “First NPR, then what—CNN? This is authoritarianism 101,” a user warned, sparking a thread with thousands of replies.
The debate has been supercharged by recent events in South Carolina, where 24-year-old Democrat Keishan Scott won a state House seat in Lindsey Graham’s backyard by a staggering 41-point margin on June 3, 2025. The upset, in a district Kamala Harris narrowly carried in 2024, has been framed as a rejection of MAGA policies, with some tying Graham’s loss to his pro-Ukraine stance and Trump’s broader agenda—including the push to defund NPR and PBS. Graham’s praise for a Ukrainian drone strike on Russian bombers drew ire from MAGA loyalists, with Steve Bannon calling for his arrest on NewsNation’s Cuomo. Threads users have linked the two stories, with one post reading, “Graham’s out, NPR’s next—Trump’s cleaning house!” The connection has fueled speculation that Trump’s defunding plan is a distraction from his party’s recent electoral setbacks.
Supporters of the executive order argue that NPR and PBS have become elitist echo chambers, out of touch with Middle America. A 2023 Pew Research study found that 65% of NPR listeners identify as liberal, compared to 17% conservative, a statistic MAGA influencers have seized on. “Why should my tax dollars fund liberal talking points?” one X user posted, echoing a sentiment shared by many Trump supporters. They argue that public media can survive on private donations—NPR raised $300 million from donors in 2024 alone—and that cutting federal funding would force them to compete in the free market. On Threads, some users have gone further, claiming NPR and PBS are “Deep State tools” used to manipulate public opinion, though no evidence supports this theory.
The poll has turned Threads into a battleground, with users trading barbs over the role of public media in a polarized age. “NPR’s the only thing keeping rural America informed—Trump’s leaving us in the dark!” one user wrote, while another countered, “Good riddance! NPR’s just a mouthpiece for the left!” The debate has also drawn in high-profile voices, with PBS NewsHour anchor Judy Woodruff tweeting, “Public media isn’t perfect, but it’s a lifeline for millions—defunding us would be a tragedy.” Her statement was met with both support and derision, with one reply reading, “Cry harder, Judy—your bias is showing.” The polarized reactions have made the poll a viral sensation, with memes of Sesame Street characters “protesting” Trump flooding social media.
As the controversy rages, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Defunding NPR and PBS could reshape the media landscape, potentially crippling local journalism and educational programming. But for Trump’s base, it’s a long-overdue victory against perceived liberal bias. With the 2026 midterms looming, the outcome of this debate could have far-reaching implications for both parties. Click the link to dive into the chaos and cast your vote: Is Trump’s plan to defund NPR and PBS a MAGA masterstroke, or the beginning of the end for public media?
