The Left is losing some of its biggest voices. Their radicalism comes with a price.
And now Bill Maher jumped across the aisle with a devastating attack on Democrats.
Liberal comedian Bill Maher didn’t hold back as he criticized his own side for the growing trend of cutting off family members during the holidays over political disagreements.
Maher’s candid remarks came during Sunday’s episode of his “Club Random” podcast, where he and fellow comedian Jay Leno reflected on the late entertainment icon Sammy Davis Jr. and his controversial embrace of President Richard Nixon.
Leno brought up how Davis was labeled a “traitor” by Hollywood liberals after famously hugging the Republican president. The moment, which caused an uproar at the time, became the jumping-off point for Maher to address the political tribalism that has taken root today.
“It’s so funny you mention that because, like today, we live in this time when you’re not allowed to have friends from the other side or cross lines politically,” Maher said to Leno.
“And I forgot that there’s an example of that way back when, a guy who crossed lines politically. ‘Ooh, the worst thing you could ever do — be friends with a Republican. Ahh! Call 911!’”
Maher didn’t stop there, launching into a tirade against what he sees as the left’s intolerance. “This is what I f—ing hate about the left,” he vented.
“And they’re not going to get me over to the Trump side, which they think they will sometimes, but just the idea that, you know, ‘cut your family off for Thanksgiving if they voted for the wrong guy.’ F— off, you f—s.” He added that Sammy Davis Jr.’s experience of being ostracized for hugging Nixon was an early warning sign of the same divisive mindset that persists today.
This isn’t the first time Maher has sounded the alarm about political polarization.
During a monologue on his HBO show “Real Time” last month, Maher took aim at Yale University chief psychiatry resident Dr. Amanda Calhoun, who told MSNBC’s Joy Reid it was acceptable to cut off family members who voted for Donald Trump and to avoid spending holidays with them.
Her comments, Maher argued, exemplify the growing trend of political purity tests.
“Oh, how pure. It’s like not letting certain people sit with you on the bus,” Maher quipped, juxtaposing her stance with a photo of civil rights icon Rosa Parks.
His sarcasm underscored his disdain for the idea of isolating loved ones over political choices. “Think about that, a mental health professional advising people to isolate during the holidays. And don’t forget to drink too much and put on weight.”
Maher then turned the mirror on the broader issue of polarization and what he sees as the solution: communication. “You know who I really wouldn’t want to have Thanksgiving dinner with? This overly educated i.e. extremely stupid, Ivory Tower academic,” he said.
“But I would, because if we ever want this nation to heal, this is what we have to do: force ourselves to reach out and find out why someone feels the way they do, and make the choices they make without prejudging them a monster. And they must do the same for you.”
The comedian’s remarks stand out in an era when political divisions seem to cut deeper than ever.
His plea for tolerance and understanding, while couched in his signature brash humor, carries a serious message about the need to bridge divides rather than deepen them.
For Maher, the path forward doesn’t involve retreating into ideological echo chambers or cutting ties with those who hold opposing views.
Instead, he advocates for uncomfortable but necessary conversations—something he believes both sides of the aisle need to embrace if the nation has any hope of mending its fractures.
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