Trump Proposes Cutting the National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities

Earlier today, the President submitted his 2026 budget proposal, which calls for the elimination of several government agencies in order to "reach balance and restore confidence in America's fiscal management". Included in that list are the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. 

The document reads: "The Budget includes the elimination of, or the elimination of Federal funding for, the following small agencies—consistent with the President’s efforts to decrease the size of the Federal Government to enhance accountability, reduce waste, and reduce unnecessary governmental entities. Past Trump Administration Budgets have also supported these eliminations. Remaining funds account for costs of orderly shutdowns."

In response to the proposal, PBS's CEO Paula Kerger said, “The President’s blatantly unlawful Executive Order, issued in the middle of the night, threatens our ability to serve the American public with educational programming, as we have for the past 50-plus years. We are currently exploring all options to allow PBS to continue to serve our member stations and all Americans.”

Trump attempted to do the same during his first time in office in 2017, but the move was stifled by Congress. This news comes months after Trump's other shakeup at the NEA, for which he introduced extensive updates to 2026 grant guidelines, with new restrictions on grants for programs that will "promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)".

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent federal agency of the U.S. government that was established in 1965 to support and fund artistic excellence, creativity, and innovation across the country. It provides grants to individuals, nonprofit organizations, and state and local arts agencies in areas such as visual arts, music, theater, dance, literature, media arts, and arts education. Its mission is to promote equal access to the arts for all Americans, enriching communities and preserving cultural heritage. The NEA is a major supporter of the arts ecosystem in the U.S., helping both large institutions and grassroots programs thrive.