Bill Maher says Trump appeals to young men because he doesn’t make them 'feel guilty'

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA: Liberal comedian Bill Maher argued that President Donald Trump’s appeal to young White men isn’t that complicated.

According to Maher, Trump stands out because he doesn’t shame them simply for existing.

On Monday, Jan 12’s episode of his 'Club Random' podcast, Maher sat down with actor Joel Edgerton for a wide-ranging conversation that touched on everything from religion to modern culture wars. At one point, they landed squarely on why many young men are gravitating toward Trump.

Maher suggested that today’s culture has replaced traditional religious guilt with one that hits parents, workers, and especially young White men from every direction.

Bill Maher notes 'guilt' in modern parenting

As the two discussed guilt, Maher argued that today’s expectations have become relentless, particularly around parenting.

"There's too much guilt. There's no reason for you to feel guilt," Maher said. "I'm sure you're, like, a better parent to your kids than, like, everybody was in my era as far as, like, how much time you spend with them. I mean, my parents in that generation, they didn't feel any obligation. It's like, ‘We brought you into this world. You have a roof. You have clothes. You have food. And you have your own life.’"

Maher contrasted today’s hands-on parenting culture with what he described as his own far looser upbringing.

"And we were better. I had such a free-range childhood of doing whatever the f**k I wanted. ‘Just be home by 6. That’s when dinner is,'" he recalled.

Maher also took aim at what he sees as the shaming of working parents for not being home enough.

"Get the f**k over yourself. Your dad's a movie star, and, you know, OK. So, like that's who he is. We can't change who we are," he said. 

Why are young men turning to Trump?

Maher then addressed Trump’s appeal, arguing that young men are reacting to years of cultural messaging that paints them as villains.

"You know, there’s just so much of, like, this shaming," Maher continued. "You know, people wonder why so many young men vote for Trump. Well, maybe because, you know, he’s one guy who doesn’t make you feel guilty just for being born with a d**k. You know? It’s true! It’s a lot of his appeal."

Maher noted that while he personally remembers past cultural dynamics, younger White men don’t have that context.

"They make you feel, you know, a lot of — not me, I’m old enough to remember when it was the reverse, so I get the backlash. If you’re 22 years old, you don’t remember a time when it was the reverse. So, you've only seen the backlash. You've only seen ‘White men bad!’"

Edgerton agreed. He insisted that Trump’s first election revealed a major disconnect between elite cultural conversations and how many men actually felt.

"I remember when he first got voted in and the realization of the sort of lack of awareness of the way dudes felt in the world," Edgerton said.

The actor argued that conversations around inclusivity have drifted away from basic principles like merit and competence.

Merit vs fear

Edgerton said he’s seen people publicly embrace inclusivity while privately feeling anxious about professional standards being ignored.

"'I’m all for inclusivity,’ and then you speak to the same person, like a few months later, and like I'm f---ing terrified,’" Edgerton remarked. "And it’s like, why don’t you just be f*****g good at what you do?"

Maher acknowledged that America has a troubled history but argued that progress should be recognized and that merit still needs to matter.

"The pendulum, like, shifts and changes, but in terms of merit, like merit is just a thing," Edgerton said. "And it's like, I mean, I don't know how you solve that problem, especially two White dudes sitting on armchairs talking about it."

Maher pushed back on the idea that their identities should disqualify them from weighing in.

"OK, but we're — again, that's the guilt thing that I'm not going to buy into," Maher said. "Just because we're White dudes doesn't mean we can't have opinions or that we can't have this discussion."