The political genius of the Democratic Party knows no bounds. With Republicans set to end federal funding for NPR and PBS, the rush is on to save the outlets. So what's the latest gambit? Treating rural voters like low-rent morons who can't possibly function without government-funded left-wing outlets telling them what to do and think.
ALSO SEE: NPR and PBS Stations Sue Trump for Cutting Their Federal Funding
It's a strategy, I guess.
Millions get their news from NPR and PBS every day.
— Tammy Duckworth (@SenDuckworth) July 17, 2025
For emergency alerts, disaster updates, the weather and other reliable news.
Stations in rural areas, which rely twice as much on federal funding, could close.
Defunding this basic service would put millions in the dark.
Let's put aside that nothing about NPR and PBS is "reliable" in terms of news because they have long been publicly-funded bastions for far-left thought (which is exactly why Democrats are so upset over this development). Where in the United States are those outlets the only possible source of information for emergency alerts, disaster updates, and the weather?
I was born in a rural state. We always watched local television stations for weather information, such as tornado and flood warnings. However, you could (maybe) argue that PBS and NPR served a valuable public service role decades ago. In 2025, that's just a ludicrous contention, though NPR's head is pushing that line.
NPR CEO Katherine Maher argues rural America often has no other possible source of news or connection to the outside world EXCEPT through PBS and NPR: "Large rural communities, large tribal communities" don't have "a lot of other options. Broadband service is not universal, and… pic.twitter.com/OFWuQTCa2E
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) July 16, 2025
I'd challenge Democrats to list a single community in the country where all they have is NPR and PBS. You can go to a fishing village in Alaska or a farm town in Mississippi (much less a "large rural community," as Katherine Maher claims), and you'll still find phones and internet connections. I'm also not aware of any place in the country where PBS and NPR are receivable, but local television and AM radio stations aren't. This issue is being created out of thin air.
Democrats truly believe rural voters are living in caves, unable to plan and think for themselves. That's part of the reason rural voters reject them so thoroughly in elections. They are sick of being treated like low-IQ idiots who couldn't possibly have enough money or know-how to take care of themselves. Of course, that idea is antithetical to most people in rural communities, who are not just caricatures for Washington-based politicians and CEOs.
All of this is reminiscent of Kamala Harris suggesting rural voters don't have access to photocopiers. It's insulting and false. Furthermore, if NPR and PBS truly have "millions" of viewers and listeners, then they should have no problem supporting themselves through ad revenue and donation drives. Lastly, we all know the truth here. Most of the people who take in these public outlets are coastal left-wing elites with access to thousands of other sources of information. They aren't tribe members in Alaska.
It is not my job to pay for any of this. If left-wingers want PBS and NPR to remain their mouthpieces, they can pay for themselves.
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