Bill Maher says a 'pretty famous' person lashed out at him for 'platforming' Republicans on his HBO show
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK CITY: Bill Maher, the host of 'Real Time with Bill Maher' revealed that he faced criticism from a well-known person for featuring Republicans on his HBO show.
In a recent interview with Reason Magazine, Maher was questioned about the frequency with which he is accused of "platforming", a perceived wrongdoing on the left, for providing a platform to conservatives on a predominantly liberal mainstream show.
Bill Maher defends inclusive dialogue, reflects on divisions in candid interview
"I've had [Ron] DeSantis and Ted Cruzon this year, and Bill Barr. And yes, to answer your question, I can think of two people—and I won't say who they are; one of them is pretty famous—just yelling at me in an email about that," Maher expressed to Reason.
"And my response to that is: F**k off. You know what? You live in your ivory tower. I'm going to talk to everybody in the half of the country that you find so deplorable. They're not going to self-deport, even if they are deplorable. And some of them are! And some on the left are deplorable too, and incredibly obnoxious. That's the country!" he added.
He went on to say, "When historians reflect a hundred years from now, provided we're still around, I doubt they'll delineate the country as we currently do into these two factions. They will likely observe: as a people, they were obnoxious. Manifesting in various ways on both sides. As a people, they were skeptical of science."
Continuing, he said, "On the right, there's disbelief in global warming or whatever absurd notions they hold. On the left, there's the belief that men can have babies. That's how they'll frame it. They'll remark, 'As a people, they simply lost their minds'."
In September of last year, Maher interrogated then-Republican presidential candidate, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, regarding his challenging endeavor to surpass former President Trump in the GOP primary.
"You didn't heed my advice," Maher initiated the conversation.
"We've had a few discussions on the show, and I told you, 'It's crazy to run this time.' ... You could run for the next 20 years. If you were Biden, make it 40. Why go up against Trump? You're trying to navigate this impossible path. You can't distance yourself because that's the base, yet you're running against him. Let's be honest, Ron, if the campaign were going smoothly, you wouldn't be appearing on this show."
Bill Maher advocates for GOP moderation and warns Democrats about strategy
Maher extends his hospitality not only to Republicans on his HBO show but also features conservatives on his 'Club Random' podcast, such as former GOP presidential contender Vivek Ramaswamy.
The liberal comedian acknowledged Ramaswamy as a "likable guy" but asserted that his close association with Trump would hinder his chances of securing the Republican nomination.
"You got to decouple from Donald Trump. That's the path," Maher advised Ramaswamy.
Subsequent to lackluster outcomes at the Iowa caucuses, both DeSantis and Ramaswamy have suspended their campaigns.
Maher, a vocal critic of Donald Trump, cautioned Democrats last week that opposing Trump alone is not a winning strategy for the November election.
"I also think it's not a great strategy to run a Democratic campaign based on ‘How can they like this guy?!’ Because some people just do… Maybe it's better to look at why he is winning among the people who ‘are rapists. And who do drugs,'" Maher remarked, humorously incorporating his Trump impersonation.
"Maybe there's a fly in the ointment there."
