Columbia News

Senator Eric Schmitt, a member of the United States Senate, posted a series of tweets on July 15, 2025, addressing the upcoming Senate vote on President Donald Trump’s proposed rescissions package. In his posts, Senator Schmitt outlined his support for defunding National Public Radio (NPR) and criticized NPR's editorial decisions and use of taxpayer funding.

In his first tweet at 17:30 UTC, Senator Schmitt announced the impending Senate vote: "This week the Senate will vote on President Trump's rescissions package. This will clawback wasteful spending that doesn't align with American interests, including completely defunding NPR. It’s time we get this done to help restore trust for the American people."

Later that evening at 19:43 UTC, Senator Schmitt referenced NPR's past coverage during the 2020 presidential election cycle: "Remember when NPR dismissed the Hunter Biden laptop bombshell as a 'pure distraction'? They were willing to do anything to help Biden win. Well here we are, four years later. Donald Trump is president — and tomorrow, the Senate is voting to END taxpayer funding for NPR."

At 20:44 UTC, Schmitt highlighted another instance from NPR's recent history related to their coverage during periods of civil unrest: "During the George Floyd riots, NPR promoted a book called 'In Defense of Looting.' This is one paragraph from their interview with the author. They published this garbage—on the taxpayer dime—while America burned. This week, the Senate will vote to end their taxpayer funding."

The tweets come as part of broader Republican efforts in Congress to address federal budget priorities under President Trump’s administration in 2025. The proposed rescissions package specifically targets what supporters describe as "wasteful spending," with NPR’s federal funding singled out for elimination.

---