NPR's Controversial Correspondent Calls for Police Abolition, Sparks Defunding Debate

National Public Radio (NPR) correspondent Gene Demby has sparked a debate over police defunding after he repeatedly called for the abolition of law enforcement in America, deeming it irreparably racist and beyond reform.

NPR's Gene Demby, a correspondent specializing in "Black Truths" at the organization's culture wing, has expressed extreme views on policing on his personal X account. Describing himself as "The LeBron James of Pig Feet," Demby contends that police do not prevent crime, perpetuate "racist state violence," and should be entirely abolished.

In a June 2020 X post, Demby asserted, "Abolition means *no* policing because policing is an inherently destructive force." He clarified that his perspective was more radical than those who advocate for police reform or defunding.

NPR's Controversial Correspondent Calls for Police Abolition, Sparks Defunding Debate

"Reform' is different from abolition because it's based on the idea that policing should exist, but simply modified – with more diverse police forces, with different training, etc. But none of that interrupts the imperatives of policing," Demby said in an August 2020 X post.

Demby further argued that police have no "vital function" in society. "The police don't solve violent crimes effectively. They don't prevent crimes. They don't de-escalate situations, and they put people in contact with the criminal justice system for being poor. How are they helpful? what vital function do they serve besides social control?" he said.

NPR's Controversial Correspondent Calls for Police Abolition, Sparks Defunding Debate

He went on to label the American public as "racist." "Every time the police have contact with Black people during some bulls--t traffic stop or some jumpy gentrifier calls 911, the prospect of state violence -- up to and including deadly force -- is on the table. The most direct way to keep Black folks from being killed by cops is to stop those unnecessary encounters. It takes off the table the bias in police imperatives, among individual officers, and among a racist public who use 911 like a customer service Hotline," he said in August 2020.

Demby's views on police defunding align more closely with white Democrats than Black Americans, according to Pew research. While 25% of Black Americans support reducing funding and 36% want to maintain current budgets, only 13% of white Democrats back defunding and 47% favor increased funding.

NPR's Controversial Correspondent Calls for Police Abolition, Sparks Defunding Debate

Demby's comments have sparked debate and scrutiny over NPR's bias, with executives acknowledging revenue challenges and declining listenership. A recent New York Times report highlighted internal conflicts over the organization's liberal leanings.

In response to the controversy, Republicans have called for stripping NPR of taxpayer funding. "The government shouldn't be in the business of funding media, and it certainly shouldn't be funding media that has a clear bias," said Rep. Bob Good, who introduced a bill to defund NPR.

NPR's Controversial Correspondent Calls for Police Abolition, Sparks Defunding Debate

While NPR primarily relies on corporate sponsorships, it also benefits from federal funds through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which received a fiscal 2026 advance of $535 million in the latest government funding deal.