All NPR listeners: Read this email

Donald Trump's FCC Chair just ordered an investigation into NPR and PBS as part of an effort to convince Congress to defund the public broadcasting networks.

Harris, Donald Trump has pledged to eliminate funding for NPR, calling it a "total scam."1 Elon Musk listed defunding NPR and PBS among the first priorities for his so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).2 And on Wednesday, Donald Trump's newly appointed Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Brandon Carr ordered an investigation into NPR and PBS as part of an effort to convince Congress to defund them.3 Republicans have been pushing to defund NPR and PBS for decades, but this is the biggest threat we've ever seen. Will you make a donation to support our work, including our efforts to save NPR and PBS? If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately: Donate $10 Donate $20 Donate $40 Or, donate another amount FCC Chair Carr's investigation falsely alleges that NPR and PBS run commercials. But in his letter announcing the inquiry, Carr openly admitted that the point of his investigation is to convince Congress to defund NPR and PBS.4 "I believe this FCC investigation may prove relevant to an ongoing legislative debate," he wrote. "In particular, Congress is actively considering whether to stop requiring taxpayers to subsidize NPR and PBS programming. For my own part, I do not see a reason why Congress should continue sending taxpayer dollars to NPR and PBS." Without public broadcasting, Americans will be even more dependent on social media platforms like Musk-owned Twitter/X for news and information. That's why defunding public broadcasting would be a massive blow not only to journalism, but democracy itself. NPR and PBS have successfully beaten back attacks on their funding for decades, but NPR staff are warning that this is the most peril they've ever faced.5 We've mobilized tens of thousands of people to defend NPR and PBS, and now we need to ramp up our efforts. That's why we're asking you today: Will you donate $20 to support our work, including our efforts to save NPR and PBS? With gratitude, The team at Demand Progress Action DONATE Sources: 1. The Guardian, "Trump's threat to defund all US public media has NPR and PBS on the back foot," December 28, 2024. 2. The Wall Street Journal, "Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy: The DOGE Plan to Reform Government," November 20, 2024. 3. The New York Times, "F.C.C. Chair Orders Investigation Into NPR and PBS Sponsorships," January 30, 2025. 4. Ars Technica, "Trump's FCC chair investigates NPR and PBS, urges Congress to defund them," January 30, 2025. 5. The New York Times, "NPR and PBS Stations Brace for Funding Battle Under Trump," December 27, 2024. Contributions to ActBlue Civics and Demand Progress Action are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. Join our online community on Instagram or Twitter. Receiving too many emails from Demand Progress? You can opt to pause emails from Demand Progress for a month. And of course you can unsubscribe from this list at any time.