Cory Booker Uses Fictional White House Clip as Proof ‘We Must Defend’ NPR, PBS Funding From Trump
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New Jersey Democrat Sen. Cory Booker provided as evidence a White House-set TV clip from the fictional drama The West Wing to serve as the central point in arguing “we must defend” government funding of NPR and PBS in a social media post that drew big attention over the weekend.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled “Ending Taxpayer Subsidization Of Biased Media” on May 1, which called federal funding for the broadcasters “not only outdated and unnecessary but corrosive to the appearance of journalistic independence.” It ordered that the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and “all executive departments and agencies” must “cease Federal funding for NPR and PBS.”
🚨 BREAKING: @POTUS just signed an executive order ENDING the taxpayer subsidization of NPR and PBS — which receive millions from taxpayers to spread radical, woke propaganda disguised as “news.”
Here is the text of the order:
By the authority vested in me as President by the…
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) May 2, 2025
On Saturday, Booker posted a rebuttal to the order in the form of a clip from The West Wing.
Public broadcasters like PBS and NPR give every American access to culture, history, art, and trusted journalism. They’re a cornerstone of civic life.
Defunding them does a disservice to us all, especially in rural communities.
We must defend them. pic.twitter.com/oU78Nm5yin
— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) May 3, 2025
“Product licensing for this merchandise brings in over 20 million dollars a year, none of which goes to PBS, all of which goes the show’s producer, the Children’s Television Workshop.” a character says in the full clip. “Now this is a company whose chief executive earns high six figures in salary and benefits per year, yet Sesame Street is subsidized by taxpayer dollars.”
“It’s a perfectly reasonable complaint,” responds Toby Ziegler, the character played by Richard Schiff, who then adds, “I don’t care” before launching into a diatribe about the importance of Julia Child to federal taxpayers.
The use of the clip was mocked by some users on the other side of the issue.
Did you even watch the whole clip? When called out on the revenue, Sesame Street generates and still gets taxpayer funds, Toby from the Democratic White House says, "I don't care." That's the problem right there. He wants it subsidized even though it doesn't need to be
— Ari Hoffman 🎗 (@thehoffather) May 4, 2025
Cory Booker doing the meme.
Using West Wing clips from 20 years ago to make your point about PBS and NPR is hilarious.
Democrats just want to protect taxpayer funding to left-leaning media. https://t.co/bIqNATtkBP
— Matt Whitlock (@mattdizwhitlock) May 4, 2025
West Wing clip to protect NPR. Literal LOL. https://t.co/Uz0kLicE6K
— Josh__Seattle (@Josh__Seattle) May 4, 2025
Several users also shared a video from an actual hearing as a counterpoint to the scene from the fictional TV show, resharing an X post from South Carolina Republican Rep. William Timmons in March:
🗣️: NPR’s Katherine Maher admits it’s ‘concerning’ that 100% of her editorial board—87 members—are registered Democrats, with zero Republicans.
NPR’s blatant partisan imbalance is unacceptable—taxpayers should not be forced to foot the bill for a one-sided echo chamber. pic.twitter.com/BMWnxq9Ffe
— Congressman William Timmons (@RepTimmons) March 26, 2025
Watch the clip above via Sen. Cory Booker on X.
