Trump administration sues to oust CPB board members

Entertainment Jul 17, 2025

The Trump administration is taking three members of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) board to court after firing them in April 2025.
Laura Ross, Thomas Rothman, and Diane Kaplan have refused to step down, saying the president doesn't have the power to remove them.
The CPB helps fund NPR and PBS.

Lawsuit could shape future of public media

This legal fight isn't just about jobs—it's about who controls public media in the US.
After Trump cut off federal funding for NPR and PBS earlier this year, Congress also pushed to defund CPB.
Now, the lawsuit could shape how much influence future presidents have over independent media—and whether public broadcasting stays protected from politics.