Last night’s episode of HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher had a few moments that will likely make some Democrats a little uncomfortable, to say the least.
Maher has never been afraid of dishing it out to Republicans or President Trump — in fact, it’s one of his favorite pastimes — but every once in a while he turns his fire toward the hypocrisy on his own side of the political aisle.
That happened in three separate instances on last night’s show.
None of these moments fit particularly well with the standard partisan narrative, which is probably why they were so interesting to watch.
Maher Calls Out the Bizarre Democrat Obsession With Wearing Masks
Bill Maher brought up the phenomenon of people on the left still wearing masks while talking with neuroscientist Andrew Huberman.
This was a very important conversation because almost no one else on Bill Maher’s side is willing to admit what’s happening.
As Maher pointed out, COVID was five years ago, yet if you look at an image from a DSA meeting last week, you would think the pandemic was still raging.
It’s very strange.
Huberman, who has studied the human brain extensively, came to the same conclusion as Maher: this is a political statement.
MAHER: “It’s a political statement.”
HUBERMAN: “Yeah, I was thinking a lot about this recently. I think it relates to the Banksy painting.”
“You know, the mask with the protester. I think It’s a political statement, right?”
“Also when people wear masks I often think, you know they have this…I don’t want to call it an advantage, but they have a vantage point where they can see you but you can’t really see them. It’s also a way of remaining anonymous.”
That’s the irrationality nobody wants to talk about.
The COVID mask is no longer about protecting yourself from infection. It’s now a symbol that has been weaponized by the left as part of their costume.
It’s their version of a MAGA hat.
A New York Times Reporter Gets a Reality Check on Trump’s Media Policy
The second moment came during a discussion about President Trump’s ongoing fight with the media.
Bill Maher and his panel went directly to this story like moths to a flame.
New York Times reporter Jonathan Swan was spiraling over President Trump barring CNN and MS NOW from the White House, until author James Kirchick reminded him of some of the Obama-era media scandals.
KIRCHICK: “During the Obama administration they tapped the AP bureau’s phones and the phones of AP bureau reporters. They tapped their phones!”
“And they named James Rosen, a Fox News journalist, as an unindicted co-conspirator in a leak case.”
Maher then stepped in because, as he pointed out, he had actually looked into the issue himself. He backed up some of the claims and seconded Kirchick’s point about the Obama administration.
He recalled former Obama press secretary Josh Earnest acknowledging that the White House had excluded Fox News from certain news-making interviews.
MAHER: “I looked this up about freezing out one…they did it with Fox News. Josh Earnest, he was in the Obama administration. He admitted it.”
“The White House has demonstrated our willingness to exclude Fox News from news making interviews.”
Maher then brought up former Obama adviser Anita Dunn, who he said had openly discussed treating Fox News like a political opponent.
“Anita Dunn, she was also in the Obama [administration], she said; “We’re going to treat them the way we treat an opponent.”
Maher went on to expose how the Democrats and the media don’t seem to have a problem with these tactics when their preferred administration was doing them.
“This is exactly what…you know, this is what I say about this country. Everybody’s like this is the worst thing in the world except when we do it.”
“And then it’s always perfectly okay.”
Maher nailed the hypocrisy in one sentence. Well done.
Maher Ends the Show by Praising Trump for Cracking Down on Crime
The last moment was probably the most shocking because it was so unexpected.
Bill Maher spent one of the final minutes of his show heaping massive praise on President Trump for taking a sledgehammer to crime.
You won’t hear any other Democrats giving Trump credit on this topic.
Maher pointed out that the decline wasn’t limited to drug crime.
MAHER: “And it’s not just drug crime that’s way down. It’s all crime! And again, probably much of that is not political, it’s because you can’t move two inches in America without being tracked, photographed, and followed by a flock camera.”
“But it’s also because when Democrats expand the safety net there are less desperate people…”
“And because Trump is a BADASS!”
Maher’s point was that although he doesn’t agree with all of Trump’s methods on crime, anyone who denies that Trump is having an effect on crime is being “childish.”
MAHER: “Is doing it this way the right thing? No.”
“But it’s just childish to pretend that when you elect a ‘F*ck around and find out’ president, a no more Mr. nice guy, boot in your ass, V for Vendetta, kick ass and take names, ‘say hello to my little friend’ president, that that’s not gonna have some effect on crime!”
“He has UFC fights on the lawn. I think the bad guys got the message!”
Maher may disagree with Trump on plenty of things, but even he seems to recognize something a lot of people on the left refuse to admit — projecting strength and making criminals believe there will be consequences can have an effect.
“Trump is a BADASS!”
Coming from Bill Maher, that was a pretty wild way to end the show.
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Maher is wrong on suggesting his is an equitable comparison. Obama blocking Fox News from critical stories was to block out truth- a communist's worst enemy. Trump is blocking out propaganda.