Bill Maher had a fun New Rules commentary to end his show on Friday, taking aim at both sides, but with an added dash of zest toward progressives. The comedian is likely very happy that Democrats wrested control from Republicans, but he’s done with the vibe shifts. They’re making him carsick. The 2026 midterms were a response to 2024, which was a response to 2020. The point he’s trying to ram home to Democrats is that he wants a return to sensible centrism on most issues, because these violent jerks aren’t healthy. He’s right. Though he doesn’t elaborate on it, such shifts, as we saw from GOP to Democrat in 2026, aren’t healthy for policy. 

He listed reasons he believes the GOP lost, citing the ethos behind Vivek Ramaswamy’s horrific attack ad on Gov.-elect Amy Acton as one of the reasons Texas flipped blue. Sure, he doesn’t mention that Renee Good tried to run over a federal agent with her car, but Kristi Noem touring an El Salvador detention facility wearing a $60,000 Rolex — look, Noem partially contributed to the bad press behind the mass deportations.

Where Maher nails it is why Trump won the 2024 election, which is where liberals likely seethed, because it was a sledgehammer to the face. It was over the ‘lawn sign people.’ You’ve seen them, the ‘love is love, science is real, black lives matter, etc.’ signs.

“Thank you, House. I was about to become a Nazi, but then I drove past you,” quipped Maher. The HBO host added that most of the concepts on these annoying signs aren’t unpopular, though we get there in different ways. But if you have to put it on a sign and plant it on your lawn, ick. 

Science is real; so why are people still wearing masks? And if women’s rights are your raison d’être, please check the status of women in Palestine. When policy is replaced by feelings, as the left writ large is right now, that’s when you get those vibe shifts. One idea that is the mother lode of feelings and bad results is defunding the police, which Democrats will try with ICE, and someone will overreach and try to defund the entire Department of Homeland Security. 

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Maher doesn’t want the left to go full Burning Man, but that’s unlikely, since a healthy chunk of the new Democratic majority on the Hill isn't attached to the establishment and owes it nothing. Many freshman House Democrats are more than willing to defy leadership. In fact, it was a wave because many of these Democrats ran against the national party. It’s going to be a chore to keep these folks in line. Nancy Pelosi was able to hamstring AOC and the Squad because she has exceptional political skills. Hakeem Jeffries has proven he might not possess those.