In an era of sharp political divides, it’s rare to see someone from Hollywood’s left-leaning ranks calling out inappropriate behavior from their own audience. But that’s exactly what happened when liberal comedian Bill Maher scolded his studio audience for laughing at the mention of a second assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.
Maher, known for his biting commentary and anti-Trump sentiments, found himself stepping into unfamiliar territory during a recent episode of his HBO show, Real Time. While discussing the attempted assassination at Trump’s West Palm Beach golf club, Maher was interrupted by his audience’s laughter. What followed was a surprising display of seriousness from the comedian.
“Not funny!” Maher snapped, clearly frustrated by the response. “I’m being serious… this is the second time this happened. There can be no fuzz on this. This is not funny!”
It’s a rare moment when someone as staunchly liberal as Maher is forced to reprimand his own base. What’s even rarer? The notion that a man who the left has repeatedly vilified—Trump—could elicit a defense, even one as grudging as Maher’s. And yet, that’s where we are. The laughter in Maher’s audience shows just how deeply some on the left have become desensitized to violence against political figures they disagree with. It’s not just distasteful; it’s dangerous.
This isn’t about political sides; it’s about basic human decency. Regardless of where you fall on the political spectrum, there should be a universal understanding that threats against politicians—whether it’s Donald Trump, Joe Biden, or anyone else—are no laughing matter. And as Maher pointed out, it’s happening far too often. The normalization of violence, especially political violence, should be a concern for everyone. If the response to an assassination attempt is laughter, it speaks volumes about how degraded our political discourse has become.
The irony, of course, is that Maher eventually couldn’t help but crack a joke about the incident, claiming that “two other shooters on the course were just waiting to play through the hole,” a golf reference. But even in his usual comedic style, Maher made a point that should resonate far beyond his usual viewership: the threats against Trump are serious, and laughing at the idea of harm coming to a former president, any president, is unacceptable.
This incident raises broader questions about the left’s often selective outrage. Can you imagine the uproar if a conservative audience had laughed about a threat against a Democratic politician? There would be headlines and hashtags calling out the audience for encouraging violence. Yet when it happens on the other side, it’s just another night on television. Maher’s reaction is a welcome reminder that, at least occasionally, someone from the liberal camp is willing to draw a line.
Bill Maher chastises his audience for laughing at the 2nd Trump assassination attempt:
“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— Eric Abbenante (@EricAbbenante) September 21, 2024
It’s worth noting that Maher himself has been a fierce critic of Trump and has made no secret of his disdain for the former president. But even Maher recognizes that celebrating violence or joking about it crosses a line. For that, at least, he deserves some credit. We can only hope more voices on the left follow suit, recognizing that political violence, no matter the target, has no place in our society.
