Now that Elon Musk has been appointed to lead a new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under the incoming Trump administration, things are about to change.
The Tesla and SpaceX founder has had a lot to say about the state of the government today.
And now Elon Musk has started a new trend that calls to defund one taxpayer-funded media giant.
Musk calls to defund NPR
The world’s richest man, Elon Musk, has renewed the call to defund NPR after a video of its CEO resurfaced online.
The controversial footage shows NPR CEO Katherine Maher speaking at an August 2021 Ted Talk.
Maher’s statements during the talk have raised new controversy over the taxpayer-funded media outlet’s alleged bias, which has been under a microscope over the past few months.
During the short 10-second clip, Maher questioned the role that truth plays in the industry.
At the time, she was the CEO of Wikimedia, but took over as CEO of NPR in March 2024.
“I think our reverence for the truth might have become a bit of a distraction that is preventing us from finding consensus and getting important things done,” she told the audience.
After the video resurfaced, Musk shared the clip with his 204.3 million followers on X.
He also wrote, “Should your tax dollars really be paying for an organization run by people who think the truth is a ‘distraction’?”
Should your tax dollars really be paying for an organization run by people who think the truth is a “distraction”? https://t.co/W79tcJJLxu
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 12, 2024
The post is the most recent in a monthslong feud between Musk and the broadcasting organization since Maher took over.
Musk posted a screenshot of a press inquiry asking him what his reaction was to over 50 NPR accounts leaving X.
He simply responded, “Defund NPR.”
Just days before, NPR announced it would be leaving X over “credibility” concerns after Musk had their accounts labeled as “state-affiliated media” since they are funded with tax dollars.
However, X later changed the label to “government-funded media.”
At that time, NPR released a statement saying, “We are not putting our journalism on platforms that have demonstrated an interest in undermining our credibility and the public’s understanding of our editorial independence.”
“We are turning away from Twitter but not from our audience and communities. There are plenty of ways to stay connected and keep up with NPR’s news, music, and cultural content,” they concluded.
Musk responded by writing, “NPR literally says Federal funding is ‘essential’ on their website right now. . . What have you got against the truth @NPR?”
NPR literally says Federal funding is *essential* on their website right now at https://t.co/QA8TUZxmNO
What have you got against the truth @NPR? pic.twitter.com/3W0X0MsZYW
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 13, 2023
The battle continues
After the initial spat, Musk allegedly threatened to give NPR’s X handle and username @NPR to another account if it opted to stay inactive on the platform.
Meanwhile, other people have also alleged ideological bias in NPR’s newsroom.
In April, a damning essay was published by senior editor Uri Berliner, who is now no longer with the organization.
Berliner expressed concerns of bias toward his employer saying that the NPR Washington, D.C. newsroom was staffed with 87 Democrats and not a single Republican.
The essay prompted some Congressional Republicans to pressure NPR and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).
Republicans demanded that both organizations take action to ensure integrity was maintained, and to address the allegations from Berliner, which eventually led to bills being discussed to cut funding for the organizations.
Now that Elon Musk is leading the Department of Government Efficiency, he will likely recommend that NPR’s taxpayer funding be cut immediately.
