MAGA is turning on a new talk show host: Bill Maher.
The comedian came under fire from the far-right for criticizing the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! during Friday’s episode of Real Time with Bill Maher.
Kimmel’s show was put on indefinite hiatus on Wednesday after the comedian made comments about 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, the alleged assassin of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel said on his Monday show.
While Maher disagreed with Kimmel’s take, he insisted Kimmel had a right to be wrong.
“Jimmy’s wrong, I think, to put [Robinson] in one team. But, you know, look at what this guy is doing,” Maher said.
“I mean, Jimmy has every right to be wrong, but look at this guy. But you have the right to be wrong or to have any opinion you want,” Maher added. “That’s what the First Amendment is all about.”
Maher also took aim at a right-wing conspiracy that links transgender identity to mass violence—a baseless claim amplified after reports that the 23-year-old who opened fire on children inside a Minneapolis Catholic school in August is transgender.
“That’s not why we got what we got. Trans is not the cause of this,” Maher said.
Some MAGA loyalists didn’t share his sentiments.
“I am so tired of my normiecon friends talking about how great Bill Maher has been lately,” wrote Tarrant County, Texas GOP chairman Bo French on X. “‘He is so reasonable now.’ LOL. No, he is a leftist at heart and can’t even admit Charlie’s shooter is a leftist too. Despicable.”
The Post Millennial, a conservative outlet, also condemned Maher’s stance on the Minnesota shooter.
“While respecting the pronouns of the Minnesota killer of Catholic schoolchildren, Bill Maher says ‘the joke’s on you’ if you try to decipher a political motive,” the outlet wrote on X.
Jack Posobiec, a Turning Point USA contributor and alt-right activist, chimed in as well.
“Great job to everyone who promoted this guy as fair,” he posted in reply.
He later added: “BREAKING: Bill Maher says he disagrees with Jimmy Kimmel about Charlie Kirk’s assassin, but then adds ”Was he on the left? I don’t know that either”
Then, British political commentator and former editor for Breitbart News, Milo Yiannopoulos replied: “He’s just trying not to get shot.”
The Daily Beast has reached out to representatives for Maher for comment.
