“Trump Derangement Syndrome” has serious consequences.
HBO talk show host Bill Maher argued Friday that former President Donald Trump must be referred to as a “threat to democracy” even if that rhetoric inspires violence against him.
“I thought maybe we would talk about rhetoric, because that’s what’s on Trump’s mind. He got shot at again, and he says, ‘their rhetoric is causing me to be shot at,’” Maher said on his show “Real Time With Bill Maher.”
Bret Stephens warns Bill Maher and Stephanie Ruhle that the media repeatedly calling Trump a 'Threat to Democracy' is not working:
— Eric Abbenante (@EricAbbenante) September 21, 2024
Bill Maher: "He got shot again, and he says 'Their rhetoric is causing me to be shot at.'
Bret Stephens: "We probably should tone it down. When we're… pic.twitter.com/65rooYjWf4
“And then, of course, in true Trumpian fashion, always the most unself-aware person in the universe, goes on to say, ‘…when they are the ones that are destroying the country,’ which would be also the kind of rhetoric that would make a borderline person shoot at you. But, he’s right, rhetoric has consequences, but he is possibly the worst person to make this case.”
New York Times columnist Bret Stephens agreed, but noted that Trump is “absolutely right that we probably should tone it down.”
“When we’re calling our opponents the end of democracy, the end of Western Civilization, we’re not helping our arguments,” he admitted.
Maher called that a “dumb* argument,” insisting Trump really IS a “threat” to democracy.
“I disagree, that’s a dumb* argument, I think…That’s their argument, which is that, you guys are saying, Trump is a threat to democracy, but he is a threat to [democracy]. The answer can’t be that we can’t say what’s true,” Maher claimed.
“[O]n this rhetoric question, they both have things that they say about the other person that are pretty big, that’s politics. That’s always gone on. There’s only one side — there should be no false equivalency here — that uses the kind of rhetoric that they use. Like, I remember Trump’s…the tough people,” he added.
Notably, in an earlier segment Maher had to awkwardly remind his audience that the second assassination attempt against Trump wasn’t funny after they laughed when the comedian brought it up.
“Not funny. I’m being serious now. This is the second time this happened. I said this before, there can be no fuzz on this. This is not funny. It’s not okay to wish it happened,” Maher said.
After his audience laughed again, Maher joked, “Well, this is a problem.”
Bill Maher chastises his audience for laughing at the 2nd Trump assassination attempt:
— Eric Abbenante (@EricAbbenante) September 21, 2024
"Let's not buy the lede, the big story this week: They tried to shoot Trump again."
*Inappropriate laughter from Bill Maher audience*
"Not funny. Not okay to wish it happened."
*Inappropriate… pic.twitter.com/xiO35qhUkP
Trump responded to Maher’s “sloppy and tired” attacks Saturday on Truth Social, concluding the liberal comedian is suffering from “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”
“The ratings challenged Bill Maher, on his increasingly boring show on HBO, is really having a hard time coping with TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME,” Trump wrote. “He is a befuddled mess, sloppy and tired, and every conversation, with B and C list guests, seems to start with, or revert back to, ME!”
He also hit at Maher’s guests, calling MSNBC host Stephanie Ruhle a “dumb* as a rock bimbo” and Stephens a “Trump-hating loser.”
