Bill Maher pans NPR, 'Portlandia character' Katherine Maher following newsroom turmoil

The HBO host linked NPR to the anti-Israel protesters that halted traffic on major city bridges

NPR CEO says she wants 'active and robust debate' amid formerly-suspended editor's resignation

Independent Women's Forum fellow Beverly Hallberg joined 'Fox & Friends First' to discuss the scandal embroiling publicly-funded NPR after veteran editor Uri Berliner, who was formerly suspended, resigned from this job. 

"Real Time" host Bill Maher took swipes at NPR and its "'Portlandia' character" boss Katherine Maher following weeks of turmoil in the far-left newsroom.  

While discussing right-leaning voters' refusal to back President Biden in the upcoming election, Maher pointed to the dramatic saga unfolding at NPR following the bombshell essay penned by ousted editor Uri Berliner, saying "NPR is to them what this country would be if it was a permanent Democratic governorship." 

"The big show is called ‘All Things Considered.' It's not ‘All Things Considered.' He's not wrong," Maher told his panel Friday night. 

"And he pointed out, for example, that of the 87 people working in editorial positions there, 87 are Democrats. Even if you're a Democrat, you can't think this is good," Maher said. 

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Real Time host Bill Maher

"Real Time" host Bill Maher tore into NPR following veteran editor Uri Berliner's bombshell essay. (Screenshot/HBO)

Maher then knocked his "namesake" NPR CEO for her woke social media posts.

"She's a ‘Portlandia’ character," Maher quipped. "She says things like ‘I mean, sure, looting is counterproductive. But it’s founded on treating people's ancestors as private property.' I mean, c'mon man. A long time ago. She says 'I suffer with cis-White mobility privilege.' I mean it's kind of White woman who says she's Beyoncé's spirit animal."

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Katherine Maher

Bill Maher compared NPR CEO Katherine Maher to a "'Portlandia' character" for her over-the-top social media posts. (Harry Murphy/Sportsfile for Web Summit Qatar via Getty Images)

The HBO host later pivoted to how Berliner's essay noted subgroups within NPR like "MGIPOC" (Marginalized Genders and Intersex People of Color), "Mi Gente" for "Latinx" employees, "NPR Noir" for Black employees and "Ummah" for Muslim employees. 

"Come on," Maher reacted. "Trump divides us, yes he does, But you're doing it too. Why do you need to do this?"

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Maher went on to connect NPR to the anti-Israel protesters who halted traffic on bridges in major cities this week.

"They're protesting for terrorists, okay? I think this is a result of the kind of stuff that flows down from places like NPR and colleges," Maher said. 

Uri Berliner NPR

Longtime NPR editor Uri Berliner, who is serving a five-day suspension for blowing the whistle on liberal bias at the organization, announced his resignation. (Getty Images)

NPR has been plagued by scandal ever since Berliner went public about the left-wing takeover of the newsroom in his stunning essay published in The Free Press. 

Berliner resigned this week after he was placed on a five-day unpaid suspension for violating NPR policy since he did not seek permission to appear on other news platforms. 

Fox News Digital reached out to NPR for comment. 

Joseph A. Wulfsohn is a media reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and on Twitter: @JosephWulfsohn.

Authored by Joseph Wulfsohn via FoxNews April 19th 2024