Bill Maher used his Friday episode of HBO's Real Time to challenge the culture of silencing dissent, citing recent controversies at The View and CNN. He defended Whoopi Goldberg, who was suspended from The View for her remarks about the Holocaust, despite disagreeing with her. 'The problem in America is there is one true opinion, and everyone else can go sit in the corner,' Maher said.
Maher highlighted Goldberg's past defence of quarterback Michael Vick during his dogfighting scandal, noting that while he disagreed, 'we grew up in two different worlds'. He called the suspension's requirement to 'reflect and learn' insulting, adding that no neo-Nazis are waiting for a green light from a talk show host.
Turning to CNN, Maher questioned the resignation of former president Jeff Zucker over a consensual relationship with a colleague. 'He is 56 and having a relationship with a 49-year-old executive – and he had to resign over that? I don't understand that,' Maher said. Panelist Katherine Mangu-Ward agreed, noting that the resignation might be tied to anchor Chris Cuomo's problems.
Earlier, Maher interviewed Congressman Ro Khanna, who defended Democrats' economic message focused on digital jobs outside tech hubs. Maher also criticised mixed pandemic messaging, calling for a return to normal life. 'When people ask why I'm skeptical of medical professionals, I've seen this before,' he said, citing the HIV panic of 1987.
Maher argued that fear campaigns should end, as the likely Covid-19 targets – the elderly, obese, and unvaccinated – are not his responsibility. 'Doesn't it make more sense to let the rest of us go back to living normal lives?' he asked, noting that the CDC has delivered wrong messages multiple times.
