A new analysis by the conservative Media Research Center finds that PBS’s weekly show Washington Week with The Atlantic featured 93% negative coverage of President Trump over the past quarter. The report highlights the show’s tone, messaging, and selection of panelists—all suggesting a consistent anti-Trump bias from its taxpayer-funded platform.
From January through March 2025, study authors recorded every segment mentioning President Trump on Washington Week. They report the show’s moderator, Jeffrey Goldberg, consistently framed Trump in a critical light, setting the tone with comments such as: “Most presidents wait until they leave the White House to cash in. President Trump takes a different approach”.
Panel composition was similarly skewed: 13 of 14 guest outlets were rated “left-leaning,” including six appearances from The New York Times, while only one was from The Dispatch—itself adopting a critical stance on Trump, per the study.
Conservative leaders are now using the findings to bolster calls for defunding PBS. President Trump previously issued an executive order, Executive Order 14290, in May 2025 to end taxpayer subsidies to the Public Broadcasting Service and NPR over alleged liberal bias. PBS has pushed back, disputing the allegations and announcing legal action with NPR to preserve public media funding.
This latest report deepens concerns about political leanings in publicly funded broadcasting.
