Comedian Bill Maher has labeled NPR as part of the “far extreme of the left,” expressing surprise that the public media outlet would feature him on its “Newsmakers” podcast. During an interview with NPR’s Steve Inskeep on Wednesday, Maher, host of HBO’s “Real Time,” asserted that NPR has changed significantly from its past.

Maher, known for his critiques of both Republicans and Democrats, stated that he believes NPR’s audience, and the outlet itself, have drifted to the left. “I’m surprised you even had me on,” Maher told Inskeep. “Because I just think of this place as so different than what it used to be, and what I always want people to do, but it’s so hard to get people to do these days, is just engage with the argument.”

He added, “You can hate me, for whatever your reasons... Are you engaging with the argument? Tell me if I’m wrong about something. And then we’re going to be cool. But that’s not what either extreme does in this country anymore. And, maybe I’m wrong, but I think this place is like on the far extreme of the left.”

Inskeep suggested that NPR’s audience might be more diverse than Maher perceived, and that the outlet seeks to engage with a wide range of individuals. Maher countered, “Who you talk to is different than, like, what people believe.”

This is not the first time Maher has criticized NPR. In March 2025, during an “Overtime” segment on his HBO show, Maher specifically addressed NPR CEO Katherine Maher, questioning her assertions that NPR is “unbiased.” At the time, he called the outlet “crazy far-left.”

Maher also questioned the need for federal subsidies for public media outlets like NPR and PBS. He argued that in today's polarized political climate, where opposing parties view each other as an “existential threat,” such institutions may no longer be viable without private funding. “They have to be private,” Maher stated.

NPR faced potential funding challenges in 2025 when Congress voted to rescind $1.1 billion in previously approved funding for public media in July of that year. This action followed a period of heightened political division. Maiher's comments come as public discourse around media bias and the role of taxpayer-funded media continues.