Screenshots / YouTube, TED, Cropped by Resist the Mainstream

National Public Radio (NPR) finds itself embroiled in more controversy as its CEO and president, Katherine Maher, clashed with senior Editor Uri Berliner over allegations of internal political bias.

Prominent voices, including Elon Musk, have also blasted Maher for being a “crazy racist,” after old social media posts resurfaced over the weekend showing her to be a Trump hater who has been outspoken over support for Biden and BLM in the past.

Christopher Rufo pulled up one particular old post, for instance, where Maher said “Lots of jokes about leaving the US, and I get it,” in response to a second Trump term in 2020.

“But as someone with cis white mobility privilege, I’m thinking I’m staying and investing in ridding ourselves of this spectre of tyranny,” she added.

“This person is a crazy racist!” Musk responded.

Berliner's scathing op-ed, published in The Free Press, accused NPR, a stalwart in the realm of American media, of veering off course, asserting that the organization had eroded “America's trust” through its perceived bias.

Maher, relatively new to her position at NPR, wasted no time in responding to Berliner's accusations. The Daily Wire reports she denounced Berliner's assessment as “deeply simplistic” and decried it as “profoundly disrespectful, hurtful, and demeaning.”

The conflict between Maher and Berliner underscored deeper tensions within NPR, with Maher defending the organization's commitment to its mission of providing unbiased information to the public. She emphasized NPR's dedication to journalistic integrity and the importance of upholding its mission in the face of scrutiny.

“Asking a question about whether we’re living up to our mission should always be fair game: after all, journalism is nothing if not hard questions. Questioning whether our people are serving our mission with integrity, based on little more than the recognition of their identity, is profoundly disrespectful, hurtful, and demeaning.” Maher asserted.

Maher took issue with Berliner's insinuation that NPR lacked diversity of thought, attributing his critique to personal objections rather than objective analysis. She challenged the notion that identity determines one's political leanings, emphasizing the diverse perspectives and backgrounds of NPR's staff.

Maher argued that NPR's strength lies in its collective expertise and commitment to excellence, transcending any singular set of beliefs or identities.

“It is deeply simplistic to assert that the diversity of America can be reduced to any particular set of beliefs, and faulty reasoning to infer that identity is determinative of one’s thoughts or political leanings,” the CEO asserted.

“Each of our colleagues are here because they are excellent, accomplished professionals with an intense commitment to our work: we are stronger because of the work we do together, and we owe each other our utmost respect. We fulfill our mission best when we look and sound like the country we serve,” she added.

The Post Millennial reports that some users on X dug into Maher's past social media posts over the weekend, to showcase the blatant bias from NPR's highest official.

Maher, for example, wrote in 2020: “Appalling to hear a CNN election night anchor say 'no one expected Trump to do this' when literally every election night disinfo prep call with media network leadership gamed this scenario out.”

Steve Guest highlighted that Maher was a staunch Hilary Clinton supporter in 2016, writing that she “didn’t get the job despite of these views, she got the job precisely because of these views.”

Maher also notably sided with looters over retail store owners during the George Floyd riots of 2020. “CNN is talking about the tragedy of damage to iconic retail zones and shoe stores in LA,” she wrote.

“I mean, sure, looting is counterproductive,” she added. “But it’s hard to be mad about protests not prioritizing the private property of a system of oppression founded on treating people’s ancestors as private property.”