Bill Maher warns Trump will paint himself as 'revolutionary leader' in criminal trials amid 2024 campaign

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: 'Real Time' host Bill Maher shared his cautionary perspective on the upcoming criminal trials of former President Donald Trump, foreseeing them as a narrative that will depict Trump as a "revolutionary leader" during the unfolding 2024 campaign.

According to Fox News, Maher voiced his concerns in an interview with Reason Magazine, expressing a sense of pessimism about the forthcoming election, which seems increasingly likely to be a rematch between Trump and President Joe Biden.

"I think I'm where a lot of people are: I wish Biden would step aside," Maher stated in the interview, reflecting the prevailing sentiment. "Well, first, I wish Trump doesn't win, but he totally could, and it's looking more like he will."

Maher foresees Trump trials as potential catalyst for a 'revolutionary leader' image

Maher emphasized the potential impact of Trump's trials on public perception, stating, "We haven't had any of his trials—although if the January 6 commission and the media and everything else haven't changed people's minds about liking him, I think these trials are only going to make him look like a revolutionary leader."

Discussing the unpredictability of the trials' outcomes, Maher pointed out the likelihood of Trump discrediting the legal proceedings by alleging corruption among those prosecuting him.

Maher noted, "All you have to say is, 'The people who put me on trial were corrupt!' And then your ignominious behavior becomes a badge of honor."

Anticipating the divisive nature of the trials, Maher predicted a referendum on which side is perceived as crazier, acknowledging that both sides have a case but expressing a personal leaning towards viewing Trump as "truly crazy."

"And both sides have a case, although I always fall on the side of ‘Trump of course is truly crazy.’ He's stupid and crazy. They're two completely different things, but he has both of them," Maher remarked.

"I'm even more worried about the crazy side, but crazy photographs, insanity photographs, it's compelling. And when he shows up, come on, people are going to cover it, watch it. It's not going to be boring."

Maher contemplates the unpredictable impact of Trump's trials on the 2024 campaign

Reflecting on the impact of Trump's trials on the 2024 campaign, Maher acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding their effects. He stated, "Whether the trials are going to help or hurt him, it's hard to say. I think it'll be about a draw, and then it'll really be a referendum on which side is crazier."

Maher highlighted the media-driven polarization of society, suggesting that in an "unfactual society," issues might not significantly influence voters. "And in this unfactual society, I don't think any of the issues really are what most people vote on anyway," Maher added.

Maher, who previously warned against bringing charges against Trump, emphasizing their potential to fuel his 2024 campaign, acknowledged the surge in Trump's GOP polling following the first indictment.

Despite the criticism Maher received for featuring Republicans on his HBO show, including figures like Ron DeSantis and Ted Cruz, he defended his approach, asserting his commitment to engaging with diverse perspectives.

"I had [Ron] DeSantis and Ted Cruz on 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 revealed. "And my answer 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 is so deplorable."

Maher envisions historians perceiving shared obnoxiousness in societal divisions

Concluding the interview, Maher offered a perspective on how historians might view the current societal divisions, anticipating they might perceive the shared tendency toward obnoxious behavior on both sides as a prevailing theme in contemporary society.

"When historians look back in a hundred years, if we're still here, I don't think they're going to divide the country like we do into these two camps. They're going to say: As a people, they were obnoxious," Maher suggested.

"It happens in different forms on both sides. As a people, they didn't believe in science. On the right, they think global warming is a hoax or whatever nonsense they believe about that. And on the left, they think men can have babies. That's what they'll say. They'll say, ‘As a people, they just lost their s**t.’"