"The First Amendment right to free speech does not tolerate viewpoint discrimination and retaliation of this type. It is difficult to conceive of clearer evidence that a government action is targeted at viewpoints that the President does not like and seeks to squelch."
"The Federal Defendants fail to cite a single case in which a court has ever upheld a statute or executive action that bars a particular person or entity from participating in any federally funded activity based on that person or entity's past speech."
"The message is clear: NPR and PBS need not apply for any federal benefit because the President disapproves of their 'left wing' coverage of the news."
A federal judge ruled against President Trump's directive to cut federal funding for NPR and PBS, deeming it unlawful and a violation of the First Amendment. The judge emphasized that the executive order was an act of viewpoint discrimination, targeting media entities based on their perceived bias. The ruling highlighted that no legal precedent supports punishing organizations for their past speech. The operational impact of the decision remains uncertain due to potential appeals and prior damage to public broadcasting.
Read at ABC7 Los Angeles
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