Bill Maher has flipped Karoline Leavitt’s latest defense of President Donald Trump, slamming the White House Press Secretary with the same kind of “frank and honest” rhetoric that she herself applauded.
In the latest episode of Real Time With Bill Maher, the host riffed on Trump’s sensitivity when it comes to Jeffrey Epstein, recounting how he shouted “quiet, piggy” at a female reporter asking questions about the convicted sex trafficker this week.
“At the press conference the next day, his press secretary Karoline Leavitt spun this by saying: ‘It’s actually admirable. It’s the president being frank and open and honest. It’s actually good,’” Maher said.
Taking a page out of the White House’s book, Maher responded: “Well, in that case, ‘Shut up, b----.’”
As the 69-year-old comedian pointed out in his opening monologue, Trump snapped at journalist Catherine Lucey from Bloomberg News aboard Air Force One on Friday, Nov. 14. The clip of the president attacking the journalist, and sticking his finger in her face, drew strong criticism this week.
When asked about the incident by reporters at a White House press briefing, Leavitt said that Trump’s direct manner of speaking is partially what got him re-elected.
“I think everyone in this room should appreciate the frankness and the openness that you get from President Trump on a nearly daily basis,” she told White House journalists.
In a surprise move this week, Trump reversed his position on the release of criminal documents relating to the late sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein after legislation requiring their release received bipartisan support.
On Sunday, the president wrote on Truth Social that House Republicans should release all files pertaining to his former friend because “we have nothing to hide.” On Wednesday, he signed the bill into law.
However, the legal shift does not seem to have diffused the tension around the subject. The president also lashed out at ABC News reporter Mary Bruce on Tuesday when she broached the subject of the Epstein files.
“You are a terrible reporter,” Trump responded. “You start off with a man who is highly respected, asking him a horrible, insubordinate, and just a terrible question.”
Maher noted that Trump, despite appearing to finally capitulate to public pressure around Epstein, is not at all thrilled about it.
“Trump is very touchy about the Epstein thing,” he said.
