Trump Questions Why NPR Exists After Pompeo Spat

Attacks on the political bias of National Public Radio (NPR) have President Donald Trump questioning the publicly funded media empire's existence.

The attacks come amid Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's battle with an NPR reporter and conservative radio host Mark Levin questioning NPR's partisanship via twitter:

"Why does NPR still exist? We have thousands of radio stations in the U.S. Plus Satellite radio. Podcasts. Why are we paying for this big-government, Democrat Party propaganda operation."

Trump, a long a critic of giving public funds to media outlets, responded:

"A very good question!"

While it is estimated only a small portion of the funding for NPR comes from U.S. taxpayers via grants, NPR does admit it relies on federal funding.

"The loss of federal funding would undermine the stations' ability to pay NPR for programming, thereby weakening the institution," according to the NPR website.

"Elimination of federal funding would result in fewer programs, less journalism — especially local journalism — and eventually the loss of public radio stations, particularly in rural and economically distressed communities."

Pompeo's spat with NPR this week included him calling out an NPR reporter for lying in a story that set out to embarrass him and the administration.

"It is shameful that this reporter chose to violate the basic rules of journalism and decency," Pompeo said. "This is another example of how unhinged the media has become in its quest to hurt President (Donald) Trump and this Administration.

"It is no wonder that the American people distrust many in the media when they so consistently demonstrate their agenda and their absence of integrity."

• Pompeo: NPR Reporter 'Lied to Me'
• Joseph Klein: Trump Rightly Moves to Pull NPR, PBS Out of Public Trough