House Republicans, led by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, are moving swiftly in a campaign to reduce or entirely cut funding to public broadcasters National Public Radio (NPR) and Public Broadcasting System (PBS).
A January YouGov survey conducted on behalf of PBS shows a different attitude toward federal funding for the outlet among voters who supported President Donald Trump’s return to the White House.
According to the survey with more than 2,000 respondents, including 792 self-identified Trump supporters, 65 percent of the Trump backers said they believe “federal funding for PBS is about right or too little.”
In a listing of the various types of programming provided by PBS, the least popular option, films and documentaries, was supported by 57 percent of the Trump voters. Science, history, and nature programming was the most popular at 81 percent.
Greene—a Georgia lawmaker who chairs the Delivering on Government Efficiency (DOGE) Subcommittee of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee (HOAC)—told The Epoch Times the YouGov results are not a surprise to her.
“It’s not shocking that an internal poll conducted by PBS themselves would show the results PBS wants to see. Did they ask how many of these so-called Trump supporters actually watch their programming?” she said.
Greene said she is now considering conducting “my own poll of my X followers, actual Trump supporters, and see what they think about PBS funding.”
“This sort of bias betrays the principles of objective reporting and undermines public trust. As an organization that receives federal funds through its member stations, PBS should provide reporting that serves the entire public, not just a narrow slice of like-minded individuals and ideological interest groups,” Greene told Kerger.
In response to the letter, a PBS spokesman released a statement to The Epoch Times saying the outlet is “grateful to have bipartisan support in Congress, and our country. We’ve earned this support from decades of noncommercial and nonpartisan work in local communities: providing all Americans with content they trust.”
The statement continued, saying PBS is committed to offering “a broad range of stories and programs that help citizens understand our past and shape our future; and helping children and families open up worlds of possibilities through educational programming.”
An NPR spokesman released the following statement to The Epoch Times concerning the hearing:
“Since its inception, NPR has collaborated with local nonprofit public media organizations to fill critical needs for news and information in America’s communities. We constantly strive to hold ourselves to the highest standards of journalism. ... We welcome the opportunity to discuss the critical role of public media in delivering impartial, fact-based news and reporting to the American public.”
Former House Majority Leader Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) told The Epoch Times that the Greene hearing is part of Trump’s effort to “intimidate, discredit, and financially ruin journalists and news outlets whose reporting doesn’t align with his personal perspective.”
“I will continue to stand against all attempts to undermine the free press and our nonpartisan, merit-based civil service,” Hoyer said.
Hoyer, who has represented a Maryland district with a substantial population of federal workers since 1981, is not a member of the DOGE subcommittee, but he is a key player in this developing controversy because of his position on the House Appropriations Committee.
Hoyer is the ranking member of the appropriations panel’s subcommittee on financial services and general government. He was House Majority Leader from 2007 to 2011 and House Majority Whip from 2003 to 2007 and again from 2011 to 2019.
A spokesman for Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), ranking member of the HOAC, did not respond to The Epoch Times’ request for comment.
A hearing date has not been set and is expected before the end of March.
