Overview
- Maher told NPR host Steve Inskeep on Wednesday that he was “surprised” to be invited and said NPR is “on the far extreme of the left,” arguing the outlet no longer resembles what it used to be.
- Inskeep pushed back on air, saying NPR’s audience and guests are more varied than Maher suggested and that the network seeks a range of voices.
- Maher used the interview to broaden his critique, faulting both political extremes for refusing to engage arguments and questioning whether the country should continue subsidizing NPR and PBS.
- The exchange was reported across outlets with different slants, with conservative outlets highlighting Maher’s attack and other outlets focusing on the back-and‑forth and his wider point about partisan change in media.
- The episode could reignite policy and public debate over public media funding and trust in journalism, a debate already shaped by Congress’s decision in July 2025 to rescind $1.1 billion in public media support and by ongoing disputes about perceived bias.