Comedian and talk show host Bill Maher has been feeling the heat of backlash after allegedly making a racist comment to a Black Republican congressman.
Maher kicked off Black History Month by peppering Texas GOP Rep. Will Hurd during Friday’s “Real Time with Bill Maher” on HBO, asking questions about his party affiliation while interrupting his responses, before finally resorting to using a fried chicken stereotype.
Maher confronted Hurd, who worked for the Central Intelligence Agency for nearly a decade, on why he continues to be a Republican and supports the “traitor,” President Trump.
Video: Here’s Bill Maher lobbing a clearly racist joke to GOP Congressman Will Hurd, asking him if he gathered undercover intel for the CIA out “by the Popeye’s Chicken.” pic.twitter.com/gxwNZQKyAL
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) February 2, 2019
“I’m a Republican because I believe in limited government,” Hurd replied, prompting Maher to counter that the GOP is not a proponent of smaller government.
“But they don’t do that,” the HBO host interjected.
“I’m a Republican because I believe in the rule of law. I’m a Republican because I believe in economic opportunity,” Hurd tried to continue.
“They don’t do that either,” Maher shot back.
“I’m just asking why you’re a Republican?” he said. “Because they’re not good at the debt, that was their big thing. You said limited government, they don’t do that. They took over the Congress in 2011 and they raised the debt a trillion dollars a year. They’re not good at national defense—the president’s a traitor. What’s in it for you? What is in the Republican Party for you? You were in the CIA!”
“I was in the CIA for almost a decade,” Hurd replied. “I was the dude in the back alleys at four o’clock in the morning collecting intelligence on threats to the homeland.”
Maher’s attempted joke fell flat with his audience as his remarks caused an awkward moment in the segment.
“That’s where you’d collect it, huh? Wow. By the Popeyes Chicken?” he asked as his audience groaned.
The outcry on Twitter was swift and deservedly brutal.
How many times is Bill Maher going to get a pass for his racist comments?
— Jill S. (@JillBernadette3) February 2, 2019
Good Lord, how many strikes does Bill Maher get, @HBO ?
— MimsyYamaguchi⛄️?☃️ (@MimsyYamaguchi) February 2, 2019
I’ve been done with Maher for a while, I’m glad I made that decision. Plus, let’s face it, he’s not funny and interrupts his guests constantly. Drop him @HBO.
— Protect Mueller (@NarcTranslator) February 2, 2019
Great first day of Black History Month, @billmaher
— The Jays (@TheJays) February 2, 2019
It’s Bill Maher. Lower your expectations.
— mettawren8 (@mettawren8) February 2, 2019
No one will ever think Bill Maher is as clever….as Bill Maher does.
— supah mumsie (@supahmumsie) February 2, 2019
Some came to Maher’s defense, however, claiming there was nothing offensive in what he said.
Bill Maher is crap, but this is a bit of a stretch.
— Jeremy (@outandaboutjc1) February 2, 2019
I am no Bill Maher fan, but if anyone thinks this is racist they are racists themselves. Totally absurd.
— Justin Shively (@JustinShively) February 2, 2019
I’m no fan of Bill Maher. But come on. That’s pretty tame. Get thicker skin. He’s not racist.
— Derek Flex Felix (@Kovy274Hart) February 2, 2019
But in a day of political correctness that has made comedy a minefield, other Twitter users were not ready to give Maher a pass.
Who knows if Bill is actually a racist, but you know he’d be pouncing on a conservative if they had said the same thing.
— Jason Lefevers (@LefeversJay) February 2, 2019
Maher is a hypocrite of the worst kind, which unfortunately is prevalent from the left, he pretends to champion fighting racial bias until it’s someone with whom he disagrees. At that point he feels he can say anything he desires, and hides behind his comedian status! Sick
— Kevin DePew (@FatChimpKevin) February 2, 2019
Bill Maher insults black CIA vet by suggesting he picked up tips “behind the Popeye’s Chicken” same day as Ralph Northam admits he submitted racist af blackface Klan photo to yearbook – it’s almost like this is all a game to them.
— Ben Domenech (@bdomenech) February 2, 2019
If you’re a fan of Real Time w/ Bill Maher, I hope you enjoyed the series finale tonight. #whatanidiot.
— The Needy Reader (@TheNeedyReader) February 2, 2019
Okay, let’s review The First Day of #BlackHistoryMonth
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam was exposed for wearing racist costume in his medical school yearbook.
Steve King has been using his official government website to promote a white nationalist blog.
Bill Maher: “Hold my beer..” pic.twitter.com/PnPkNIJkkz
— KevinNoel (@KevinNoel) February 2, 2019
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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida where she has been writing for the BizPacReview team since 2015.
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