The Trump administration ended the $23 million Ready To Learn grant, which provided funding for PBS children’s shows like Sesame Street and Molly of Denali, citing concerns about bias.
In response, PBS and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) have pledged to challenge the executive order, which has raised significant worries about the future of educational programming.
On May 7, 2025, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) confirmed that the Trump administration had terminated the $23 million Ready To Learn grant.
According to The New York Times, the decision ended funding for several PBS children’s shows, including Sesame Street, Reading Rainbow, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Molly of Denali, and Work It Out Wombats.
Can we talk about the REAL reason PBS lost funding? I'm so glad. There are a million other things we can teach children besides 79 different sexual preferences and genders.
A Black man with full blown AIDS in a dress on Sesame Street pushing the same lifestyle to children that… pic.twitter.com/8sp0FiKoVR
— Angela Stanton King (@theAuntieAngie) May 8, 2025An executive order by President Donald Trump directed agencies to cut NPR and PBS funding, alleging political bias, per Reuters. The Department of Education, claiming the grant supported “divisive” racial justice content, notified CPB on May 3 to halt programming by May 5, affecting 44 public media stations across 28 states, per AP News.
CPB President Patricia Harrison emphasised the program’s bipartisan support and educational value, stating, “Nearly every parent has raised their kids on public broadcasting’s content,” per PBS NewsHour. PBS CEO Paula Kreger called the order “blatantly unlawful,” vowing legal and legislative action.
The grant, active from 2020 to 2025, supported early childhood education, a cornerstone of public broadcasting, per EdSurge. The decision, trending on X, drew criticism from parents and educators, with posts highlighting Sesame Street’s universal appeal, though some supported Trump’s biased claims, per Bloomberg.
The move aligns with Trump’s broader campaign against perceived liberal media, amid ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan. CPB and PBS are lobbying Congress to restore their funding.
