Judge blocks Trump's withdrawal of federal funding for public-service channels

It was last year that the US president, with the support of Congress, withdrew federal funding for the country's public service channels - which Trump has long called "left-wing."

But the decision to cut off support is illegal and cannot be enforced, federal judge Randolph Moss ruled on Tuesday.

According to Moss, the Constitution states that freedom of expression “does not tolerate discrimination based on opinions.”

"It is difficult to imagine clearer evidence that a government decision targets views that the president does not like and is trying to stifle," Moss said in a statement.

Federal funds are distributed to more than 1,500 local radio and television stations, including many stations run by public broadcasters PBS and NPR.