You’d expect comedian Bill Maher to throw in some jokes about Donald Trump’s assassination attempt at a comedy show. He called Sarah Palin a “c**t” in 2011 during a set, but political violence is a different story. Maher may hate Trump and think Republicans are terrible, even skirting this now-dangerous line about how the GOP is a danger to democracy that undoubtedly fueled yesterday’s mayhem. Maher refused to make any jokes about this terrible event, admitting that some of his colleagues will. But he didn’t; it’s not funny.
He also said this shooter did a lot of damage to the Left, destroying any moral high ground, as Maher saw it, with the ‘you’re the violent people’ narrative that was always a straw man.
The opening of my comedy show last night a few hours after the shooting if anyone wants to know my thoughts…. pic.twitter.com/bMov0INLEr
— Bill Maher (@billmaher) July 14, 2024
“You know, liberals don’t shoot people. Liberals don’t solve it that way,” he said to applause. Neither do we, but the Left has been the more violent, extreme, and divisive of the factions since Trump.
Despite his announcement that he won’t joke about the assassination attempt, Maher did slip in some quips. He’s glad he’s alive and well, adding, “He’s the luckiest motherf**ker that has ever walked the face of the Earth.”
Must give credit. At least @billmaher isn’t in denial. This pretty much says it all! pic.twitter.com/NLAvtWogzm
— Dov Hikind (@HikindDov) July 14, 2024
Maher also said that the bullet grazing his ear and hitting a bystander is Trump to a tee concerning being the luckiest man alive. Maher used the 2016 election as an example, where Trump lost the popular vote, but everything broke his way in the real way we elected presidents, the Electoral College. Since an attendee was killed, it's probably not the best joke, Bill.
He did say that the photo of him being led off the stage by the Secret Service, face bloody, ear clipped, and raising his fist might have been the election. He knows there’s a lot of time, but he’s starting to see the writing on the wall regarding the high chance that Trump will be elected president of the United States again.
“Yes, MAGA nation finally has its full martyr,” said Maher, adding that Trump supporters loved his mugshot, and we did. Even Maher had to admit the former president nailed that picture. The Real-Time host said he could see the memes now: “The man the libtards couldn’t kill…Biden can’t get through a debate, and a bullet can’t stop Trump.” Maher said it almost doesn’t matter who the Democrats put up to face the former president.
Was Maher’s monologue classy, unseemly, indifferent, or struck the perfect balance given the setting and who he is?