Bill Maher calls for COVID commission and slams authorities for not acknowledging mistakes, Internet says 'four years late'

MANHATTAN, NEW YORK CITY: 'Real Time' host Bill Maher concluded his show on the night of March 29 by advocating for a "COVID Commission" to investigate the mishandling of the pandemic in the country.

"I get it that we didn't know exactly what was happening at the beginning of COVID, and some mistakes were inevitable," Maher conveyed to his audience.

Bill Maher calls for COVID commission, promotes proper air ventilation

"But after four years, I'm tired of hearing excuses like, 'Well, we didn't know.' No, we didn't, but some individuals made better guesses than others. And those who got it wrong seem unwilling to admit it now," Maher said.

"Some people said closing schools for so long was pointless and would cause much worse collateral damage to kids, and they were right," Maher emphasized.

Maher criticized The Daily Beast for a negative article it published in 2021 regarding his consideration of the lab-leak theory, which was titled "Bill Maher pushes Steve Bannon Wuhan lab conspiracy theory."

He highlighted that such labeling was "typical of the mainstream media at the time."

"Of course, it wasn't a conspiracy theory, and it wasn't promoted by Steve Bannon. Now, even the Biden administration acknowledges that there's at least a 50-50 chance that the virus originated in the lab in Wuhan conducting gain-of-function research on that virus. It's obvious! But I don't see many retractions being issued," Maher remarked.

"So, where's the COVID commission? Because it seems to me we haven't learned a thing. Maybe the number one lesson from the pandemic was the need for proper air ventilation, second was never go on a Zoom with Jeffrey Toobin," Maher quipped. 

"But if there's been a big national to retrofit buildings, I missed it. Gain of function research is still going on in labs. We're still torturing animals by raising our food in conditions ideal for viruses to make the leap to humans… We handed out $4 trillion dollars of free money, 280 billion of which was just flat-out stolen in what the AP called ‘the greatest grift in US history’ and which started an inflationary spiral that we now blame on Biden. So we're gonna bring back Trump?! The guy who ignored COVID like it was the dinner check?!" he continued. 

"Talk about not learning anything," Maher added.  

Social media responds to Maher's quips with scorn

The online community responded with amusement to Maher's quips, with most of them slamming him. 

One person said, "Mahar is gaslighting - he's only complaining about it due to the massive inflation that resulted from the enormous financial stimulus during the pandemic. And since that inflation is now hurting Biden in the polls. He even says such in his monologue." 

Another said, "Yeah...meh. Four years late". Another wrote, "Oh yes, let's listen to Bill Maher, the bastion of wisdom and expertise on public health. I mean, it's not like we have actual scientists and medical professionals who have been studying this virus for years and have a much better understanding of it than some late-night Tv host."

"Covid really broke Bill Maher," one person tweeted. "Whats the point? It won't change anyones position," asked one viewer. "We need to get Bill off the air for spreading misinformation that caused 100,000 deaths," said another. 

This article contains remarks made on the internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.