In a fresh front of political friction, the Trump administration has taken legal action against three sitting members of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), alleging they refused to vacate their posts despite being dismissed by the former president.
The lawsuit, filed in a federal court in Washington, D.C., names Laura Ross, Diane Kaplan, and Tom Rothman — all current CPB board members — as defendants. The Justice Department argues their removal was within Trump’s lawful authority and now seeks a judicial mandate to enforce it.
This is just the latest chapter in a broader ideological standoff between Trump and public media institutions such as the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and National Public Radio (NPR), which the CPB funds with over \$500 million annually. Many in Trump’s orbit have long insisted these outlets reflect a liberal bias unworthy of taxpayer support.
The CPB, however, isn’t backing down. After receiving termination notices via email in April from a White House personnel official, the organization fired back with its own lawsuit. Its stance is clear: the president lacks the legal muscle to dismiss its board members.
Created by Congress in 1967, the CPB is designed as a buffer between public media and political influence. Its board members are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate for six-year terms. All five current members were nominated by President Joe Biden.
In a separate but related ruling last month, U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss allowed the trio to remain in their roles for now, even as he denied the CPB’s request to block Trump from seeking their removal altogether.
The matter now moves forward in court, as both sides dig in over who gets the final word in steering the future of American public broadcasting.
