Bill Maher blasts Megyn Kelly over ‘barely legal’ Epstein defense

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Bill Maher is not holding back. The 'Real Time with Bill Maher' host tore into Megyn Kelly after her jaw-dropping comments defending disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein sent shockwaves across political media circles this week.

During his panel discussion with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria and podcaster Josh Barro, Maher opened by quoting several of the newly released Epstein emails. “Here are some of the lines we heard from this week,” Maher said, before reading Epstein’s words: “‘I’m the one able to take him down. The dog that hasn’t barked is Trump. I know how dirty Donald is.’”

“When Megyn Kelly said this week, ‘Well, Epstein wasn’t technically a pedophile,’ because they were like 15 instead of five,” Maher said. “When that’s where your defenders are going: Let’s be easy on the pedophiles and not to cast dispersions on people who go out with 15-year-olds?”

Laughter erupted from the panel.

Megyn Kelly slammed for comments downplaying Epstein’s crimes

Kelly said on 'The Megyn Kelly Show' that an insider had told her Epstein was into “the barely legal type.”

“I do know somebody very, very close to this case who is in a position to know virtually everything,” she said. “And this person has told me from the start, years and years ago, that Jeffrey Epstein, in this person’s view, was not a pedophile.” She doubled down, adding, “He liked 15-year-old girls… I’m just giving you facts… he wasn’t into, like, eight-year-olds.”

The clip drew immediate backlash. Maher, visibly stunned, ended his recap with, “I… I don’t know.” The studio audience groaned along.

Bill Maher links Trump allies to renewed Epstein investigation focus

Maher then pivoted to discuss women close to Donald Trump, including Lauren Boebert, Nancy Mace, and Marjorie Taylor Greene, emphasizing that these lawmakers “do not want to give [the Epstein investigation] up."

He said, “Because they’ve got a situation,” mocking Trump’s decision to bring Boebert into the Situation Room. Zakaria and Barro laughed at the remark, but Maher insisted these women “understand about this stuff like we can never.”

Comedians roast Megyn Kelly as Epstein controversy grows

The 'Daily Show’s' Josh Johnson delivered one of the week’s most viral responses, joking, “Your honor, my client only engaged in diet pedophilia.” He added, “Everyone knows there’s a big difference between a 15-year-old and a 5-year-old. But everyone also knows there is never a good reason to be talking about that difference.”

Maher noted that with the shutdown fight, looming SNAP benefit threats, and new Epstein file revelations, “This was the single worst week for the president and his administration.”

Zakaria added that, for the first time, the revelations might create “cracks” in Trump’s loyal base. “It seems that there’s at least… maybe the beginnings of some tremors,” he said.