GOP lawmakers slam Sesame Street’s Pride post, call for PBS to be defunded

By lauraharris // 2025-06-07

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GOP lawmakers criticized PBS and "Sesame Street" after the show shared a pro-LGBTQ Pride Month social media post featuring rainbow-themed imagery and a message of inclusivity.
Prominent Republicans, including Rep. Mary Miller (R-IL), Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ), accused PBS of "grooming" children and demanded its defunding, calling the post "evil" and unacceptable.
The backlash follows President Donald Trump's recent executive order to defund NPR and PBS, citing partisan bias and directing federal agencies to cut off funding "to the maximum extent allowed by law."
The order also mandates FCC probes into alleged broadcasting violations and HHS reviews of employment practices at NPR/PBS, alongside audits of indirect federal funding.
The Sesame Street controversy has galvanized further Republican support for Trump's defunding order, framing PBS as a propagator of "taxpayer-funded indoctrination."

Congressional Republicans are calling to defund the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) after its flagship children's program, "Sesame Street," shared a social media post celebrating LGBTQ Pride Month. On June 1, the first day of the so-called Pride Month, the official social media accounts of "Sesame Street" on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram shared a vibrant graphic featuring its beloved puppet characters holding hands in a rainbow-colored display reminiscent of the LGBTQ Pride flag. The accompanying message read: "On our street, everyone is welcome. Together, let's build a world where every person and family feels loved and respected for who they are. Happy Pride Month." (Related: PBS shutters DEI office in wake of Trump's executive order.) The post, which included characters such as Elmo, Bert and Ernie, Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch, sparked a wave of reactions among Republican lawmakers. For instance, the Republican Study Committee (RSC), a coalition of GOP House members, shared a meme featuring Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) with the caption: "I am once again asking PBS to stop grooming children." Other House and Senate Republicans joined the growing backlash, echoing strong condemnation of the content. Rep. Mary Miller (R-IL) labeled the post as "evil" and called for PBS to be defunded, stating it should "infuriate every parent in America." Meanwhile, Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) responded to a separate "Sesame Street" clip featuring Queer Eye host Jonathan Van Ness, stating, "Federal funds aren't for grooming." Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) also weighed in, accusing PBS of "grooming children on American taxpayers' dime" and demanding accountability: "This is unacceptable. Congress must defund them and hold the executives responsible."

Trump signs executive order to defund NPR and PBS

This backlash came one month after President Donald Trump signed an executive order to defund the National Public Radio (NPR) and PBS. The order, titled "ENDING TAXPAYER SUBSIDIZATION OF BIASED MEDIA." directs the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) – the primary federal entity that distributes taxpayer money to NPR, PBS, and local public media stations – to terminate direct funding for both organizations "to the maximum extent allowed by law" and to "decline to provide future funding." CPB allocates approximately $535 million annually to support public radio and television stations, educational programming and cultural initiatives. Under federal law, CPB funding is distributed in advance, meaning stations have already received appropriations through fiscal year 2025. However, Trump's order instructs federal agencies to immediately cease direct funding to NPR and PBS where possible, block indirect subsidies funneled through CPB-backed local stations and terminate existing contracts with the networks. Beyond defunding, the order directs the FCC to investigate NPR and PBS for potential violations of federal broadcasting laws, including partisan bias in programming. It also instructs the Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to probe possible employment discrimination at the networks and mandates all federal agencies to audit and cut off indirect funding streams to NPR and PBS. Visit Indoctrination.news for more similar stories. Watch this episode of "The Breanna Morello Show" discussing how people can mentally fortify themselves against Pride Month propaganda.

This video is from the MyPodcastDropped2320 channel on Brighteon.com.

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Trump signs executive order to defund NPR and PBS

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