'Defund PBS' Calls Made Over Donald Trump Coverage

Prominent conservatives have issued calls to "defund" PBS in response to the broadcaster's coverage of Donald Trump's indictment on Tuesday.

PBS added a warning message to an impassioned speech Trump gave after he pleaded not guilty to 37 counts related to his alleged mishandling of classified documents, stating "experts warn that inflammatory rhetoric" from prominent political figures can lead to acts of violence.

Trump is the front runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, with polling giving him a significant lead over second placed Ron DeSantis. Thus his rhetoric, and the media's response to it, could help determine who occupies the White House from January 2025 onwards.

Trump delivered an address to supporters at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey later on Tuesday.

During his speech the former president vowed to appoint a special prosecutor to target "the entire Biden crime family" and "all others involved with the destruction of our elections, our borders, and our country itself."

Trump is continuing to insist the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him by fraud, though this claim has been rejected repeatedly in court and by independent legal experts.

The Republican front runner also vowed to "totally obliterate the deep state" and claimed, "I'm the only one who can save this nation."

During his speech PBS posted a "context" note at the bottom of the screen. In block capitals it said: "Experts warn that inflammatory rhetoric from elected officials or people in power can prompt individual actors to commit acts of violence."

A screenshot of this was tweeted out by Charlie Kirk, who leads conservative youth group Turning Point USA, and has more than 2.3 million Twitter followers.

He added: "Taxpayer funded PBS goes full PRAVDA. Defund PBS".

Pravda was the official newspaper of the Soviet Union's governing communist party, which gained a reputation for strict ideological orthodoxy and twisting facts to suit the official narrative.

Derrick Evans, a former member of the West Virginia House of Delegates who was convicted over his involvement in the January 6, 2021, storming of Congress, also shared the screenshot. He commented: "Defund PBS NOW."

Newsweek has approached PBS for comment via email.

A number of Republican members of Congress criticized Trump following his indictment, with one referencing the then-GOP candidate's treatment of Hillary Clinton over her handling of classified information ahead of the 2016 election.

Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski described the indictment as a "pretty comprehensive condemnation" of Trump's behavior.

She added: "I don't care whether you are a Trump supporter or a Trump opposer, you have to take this seriously. So to just say that whoever has delivered the message needs to be taken out, I'm sorry, we don't do that."

House Representative Ken Buck said: "Let's just look at Donald Trump's words in 2016. He said that Hillary Clinton was unfit for the White House because of the way she handled classified information.

"I think his words have set the standard that America will look at in determining whether he is fit for president."