Calls to Defund NPR Surge After Reporter Exposed for Hitting Trump with Mic

X Erupts as Bias Claims Fuel Push to Slash Public Radio’s Funding

Calls to defund National Public Radio (NPR) are escalating after White House reporter Danielle Kurtzleben allegedly struck President Donald Trump in the face with a boom microphone on a tarmac on March 16, 2025. Journalist Laura Loomer broke the story on X, claiming the act was deliberate and exposing Kurtzleben’s anti-Trump stance. Within 18 minutes, Kurtzleben locked her X account, amplifying suspicions.

X users erupted, with @JackStr42679640 demanding charges, calling it “clearly intentional,” and @douglastowne76 citing her “radical” history. The incident has turbocharged criticism of NPR’s alleged bias, with author Eric Metaxas weighing in: “It’s not about the reporter. It’s about NPR. It’s time to #DefundNPR.” Figures like Elon Musk echo the sentiment, targeting NPR’s taxpayer funding through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).

NPR claims federal dollars are minimal, but local stations depend on CPB grants to air its content. Critics see a partisan agenda; defenders warn of lost rural news access. Accident or attack? With no official word from NPR or Trump, the video—and the debate—rages on.

ThriveNews.co will update this story as it develops.