Federal judge finds Trump violated free speech by ordering NPR defunded

NPR | By David Folkenflik

Published March 31, 2026 at 4:34 PM EDT

A federal judge has ruled that an executive order ending federal funding for NPR and PBS crosses a line drawn by the First Amendment that forbids viewpoint discrimination.

David Folkenflik

David Folkenflik was described by Geraldo Rivera of Fox News as "a really weak-kneed, backstabbing, sweaty-palmed reporter." Others have been kinder. The Columbia Journalism Review, for example, once gave him a "laurel" for reporting that immediately led the U.S. military to institute safety measures for journalists in Baghdad.

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