Bill Maher slams sanctuary city 'hypocrites' for turning away migrants on 'Club Random' podcast with Katie Couric

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: During his 'Club Random' podcast on April 14, liberal comedian Bill Maher criticized Democratic leaders of sanctuary cities as "hypocrites" for their response to the border crisis.

Maher brought up the immigration issue following a discussion with guest and former TV anchor Katie Couric, who argued that class resentment and anti-elitism contributed to blue-collar workers supporting former President Trump.

Bill Maher and Katie Couric talk Sanctuary City hypocrisy and border crisis response

On the 'Club Random' podcast, Maher agreed, suggesting that resentment was justified, especially regarding how Democratic leaders handled the immigration crisis overwhelming border towns.

"Take something like the Sanctuary City hypocrisy," Maher told Couric. "These elite cities [think] ‘We’re the good people'…until they send the immigrants, actually, to their cities" 

Maher asserted that New York City Mayor Eric Adams and other Democratic leaders began sounding like Republicans when confronted with the border crisis affecting their own communities.

"The things that came out of the mouths of the leaders of New York and Chicago and even San Francisco were pretty astounding. You would think it was Trump talking!" he remarked.

Couric concurred with Maher's assessment, noting that the media hadn't adequately highlighted the impact of the migrant surge on border towns.

She recounted how her friend in Florida appreciated Republican Governors Ron DeSantis and Greg Abbott sending migrants to NYC and Martha's Vineyard because it exposed how no politicians truly "cared" about their plight.

"It's just fair," Maher commented, suggesting that Republicans like Abbott and DeSantis had held these Democratic leaders accountable to their promises.

"They just called their bluff, very much the same way the Democrats called the bluff of the Republicans on the immigration bill," he added. 

Bill Maher and Katie Couric discuss media bias and Donald Trump's impact

Maher and Couric engaged in a debate over whether the media's bias has intensified over time, with Maher expressing his distrust in any media outlet nowadays.

He noted that CNN and The New York Times, which were once perceived as more neutral, now tend to report from a more "activist" perspective.

However, Couric questioned whether there ever was a truly objective press.

Both Maher and Couric agreed that former President Trump's dissemination of falsehoods had placed the media in a challenging position.

Couric argued that Trump's actions had compelled the press to become more aggressive in fact-checking.

Maher expressed his frustration with the media's continual negative portrayal of Donald Trump and advocated for a better understanding of the typical Trump voter's perspective.

He emphasized, "Not to defend Trump, but to defend the people who still vote for him. Because what they see on the other side, to them, is even more dangerous. Because it's closer to home," citing issues such as gender ideology in schools and anti-Trump sentiment in the media.

According to Maher, "Those kind of things are what they say, 'That's why I'm voting for Trump'."

He then urged, "'We don't like him but he's all that stands between us and madness', That's their view. I would like that view presented (by the media)."