Senator John Kennedy, a Republican from Louisiana, publicly challenged NPR President and CEO Katherine Maher after she asked critics to identify bias in the network’s reporting.

During the exchange, Kennedy cited a social media thread pointing to NPR headlines on topics ranging from Michael Avenatti’s legal troubles to country music racism.

He also criticised stories on debate coverage, transgender sports, and interstate highways as examples of ideological slant.

Kennedy argued that taxpayer funding of NPR and PBS is unjustified if coverage is perceived as partisan.

He referenced a House vote in June that rescinded approximately one billion dollars in funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and a Senate amendment in mid‑July that passed narrowly, reducing federal support for the upcoming two fiscal years.

Maher responded earlier this year to congressional criticism, including a March House subcommittee hearing that examined accusations of liberal bias.

She defended NPR’s mission as non‑partisan and highlighted the importance of public broadcasting in rural emergency alerting and local journalism.

She also extended an open challenge to critics to bring forward specific examples of bias.

The exchange forms part of a broader political context: the Trump‑aligned administration’s push to defund public media, citing funding cuts as a remedy for ideological bias.

NPR and PBS leaders have warned that tens of local stations, particularly in rural areas, could face financial distress or closure without federal support.

Meanwhile, some Republican lawmakers continue to question the allocation of taxpayer funds toward public broadcasting amid changing media consumption habits.