‘I Speak for the Normies’: Bill Maher Calls Himself a Spokesman for the ‘Vast Middle’

COSTA Can you make ░░░░░░░░ audience laugh and think ░░░░░░░░ the same time MAHER ░░░░░░░░ of course Clip starts ░░░░░░░░ I don t understand ░░░░░░░░ No cameras of the ░░░░░░░░ Court I don t ░░░░░░░░ this You can film ░░░░░░░░ in America You can ░░░░░░░░ go to the washroom ░░░░░░░░ a plane without it ░░░░░░░░ filmed Laughter Clip ends ░░░░░░░░ The great thing about ░░░░░░░░ is that it s ░░░░░░░░ so if you laugh ░░░░░░░░ something something in you ░░░░░░░░ you that s true ░░░░░░░░ must be true I ░░░░░░░░ at it Maybe I ░░░░░░░░ t supposed to Clip ░░░░░░░░ MAHER A study of ░░░░░░░░ developed countries found that ░░░░░░░░ S students were dead ░░░░░░░░ in math skills but ░░░░░░░░ one in confidence in ░░░░░░░░ skills Laughter Even though ░░░░░░░░ suck it Yeah we ░░░░░░░░ number one in thinking ░░░░░░░░ re number one Clip ░░░░░░░░ COSTA voice over If ░░░░░░░░ catch yourself laughing at ░░░░░░░░ Bill Maher has said ░░░░░░░░ on HBO s Real ░░░░░░░░ his Friday night perch ░░░░░░░░ the past 21 years ░░░░░░░░ be careful Next time ░░░░░░░░ joke could be on ░░░░░░░░ COSTA How long have ░░░░░░░░ been you ve been ░░░░░░░░ this for so long ░░░░░░░░ This interview It does ░░░░░░░░ like it COSTA voice ░░░░░░░░ Nobody is spared Bill ░░░░░░░░ s humor Clip starts ░░░░░░░░ Political TV is full ░░░░░░░░ groans and eye rolls ░░░░░░░░ pouting Clip ends COSTA ░░░░░░░░ over Or as he ░░░░░░░░ it his truth telling ░░░░░░░░ on the right Clip ░░░░░░░░ MAHER If you re ░░░░░░░░ turn over your party ░░░░░░░░ a foreign power at ░░░░░░░░ pick the right one ░░░░░░░░ Are you kidding It ░░░░░░░░ like the Republicans looked ░░░░░░░░ all the companies they ░░░░░░░░ merge with and picked ░░░░░░░░ Clip ends COSTA voice ░░░░░░░░ nor on the left ░░░░░░░░ starts MAHER You call ░░░░░░░░ the resistance Then fight ░░░░░░░░ enemy lines That s ░░░░░░░░ a resistance does That ░░░░░░░░ the difference between blowing ░░░░░░░░ a tank and tweeting ░░░░░░░░ it Get out of ░░░░░░░░ echo chamber and infiltrate ░░░░░░░░ Clip ends COSTA What ░░░░░░░░ the through line through ░░░░░░░░ you write and everything ░░░░░░░░ say MAHER Keep it ░░░░░░░░ you know don t ░░░░░░░░ tribal don t say ░░░░░░░░ just because that s ░░░░░░░░ to make the audience ░░░░░░░░ side applaud or boo ░░░░░░░░ solutions as opposed to ░░░░░░░░ And don t pull ░░░░░░░░ punch COSTA voice over ░░░░░░░░ 68 year old Maher ░░░░░░░░ been swinging at targets ░░░░░░░░ and low his entire ░░░░░░░░ taking his own share ░░░░░░░░ knocks along the way ░░░░░░░░ he still gladly courts ░░░░░░░░ Clip starts MAHER The ░░░░░░░░ response to speech you ░░░░░░░░ t like is more ░░░░░░░░ Not the lazy cowardly ░░░░░░░░ of cancelling people Clip ░░░░░░░░ COSTA voice over That ░░░░░░░░ explains the title of ░░░░░░░░ new book It s ░░░░░░░░ from years of Maher ░░░░░░░░ commentary on Real Time ░░░░░░░░ I wanted to see ░░░░░░░░ the world had changed ░░░░░░░░ I had changed more ░░░░░░░░ was excavating reading over ░░░░░░░░ these editorials from years ░░░░░░░░ years and years and ░░░░░░░░ wanted to find that ░░░░░░░░ I speak for the ░░░░░░░░ you know I speak ░░░░░░░░ that I think vast ░░░░░░░░ that is tired of ░░░░░░░░ partisanship I don t ░░░░░░░░ to hate half the ░░░░░░░░ and I don t ░░░░░░░░ half the country COSTA ░░░░░░░░ write a lot throughout ░░░░░░░░ book that the left ░░░░░░░░ you frustrates you at ░░░░░░░░ but the right often ░░░░░░░░ you MAHER Yes they ░░░░░░░░ very alarming They are ░░░░░░░░ alarming More alarming COSTA ░░░░░░░░ do you say to ░░░░░░░░ critics though who say ░░░░░░░░ you should just focus ░░░░░░░░ them Bill If they ░░░░░░░░ more alarming to you ░░░░░░░░ the left then why ░░░░░░░░ shine a spotlight on ░░░░░░░░ only MAHER Because truth ░░░░░░░░ t one sided like ░░░░░░░░ The Democrats constantly are ░░░░░░░░ against Trump with the ░░░░░░░░ You people out there ░░░░░░░░ t possibly vote for ░░░░░░░░ guy and And people ░░░░░░░░ saying Watch me Hold ░░░░░░░░ beer Watch me vote ░░░░░░░░ him again Instead of ░░░░░░░░ saying he lied we ░░░░░░░░ he s a liar ░░░░░░░░ s Donald Trump He ░░░░░░░░ t help himself He ░░░░░░░░ crazy I mean I ░░░░░░░░ literally crazy I think ░░░░░░░░ s a kind of ░░░░░░░░ level of malignant narcissism ░░░░░░░░ is not just a ░░░░░░░░ quirk it s diagnosable ░░░░░░░░ he suffers from it ░░░░░░░░ starts MAHER Trump has ░░░░░░░░ over 8 000 false ░░░░░░░░ misleading statements as president ░░░░░░░░ like this has ever ░░░░░░░░ before Clip ends COSTA ░░░░░░░░ you had him on ░░░░░░░░ Time what would you ░░░░░░░░ him MAHER Would you ░░░░░░░░ go away COSTA Have ░░░░░░░░ asked him to come ░░░░░░░░ MAHER Of course We ░░░░░░░░ asked everybody I mean ░░░░░░░░ that stature He knows ░░░░░░░░ has an open invitation ░░░░░░░░ come on but I ░░░░░░░░ t think he really ░░░░░░░░ me because I think ░░░░░░░░ the amount of times ░░░░░░░░ he goes after me ░░░░░░░░ He watches the show ░░░░░░░░ Accidentally It s always ░░░░░░░░ He watches it accidentally ░░░░░░░░ week It s amazing ░░░░░░░░ voice over In fact ░░░░░░░░ don t shy away ░░░░░░░░ Real Time Clip starts ░░░░░░░░ He s the former ░░░░░░░░ general wow under Presidents ░░░░░░░░ W Bush and Donald ░░░░░░░░ Bill Barr Clip ends ░░░░░░░░ When Bill Barr came ░░░░░░░░ your show what did ░░░░░░░░ of your Democratic friends ░░░░░░░░ MAHER Yeah this is ░░░░░░░░ what I hate about ░░░░░░░░ country How dare you ░░░░░░░░ dare you platform someone ░░░░░░░░ starts Barr The way ░░░░░░░░ see it we are ░░░░░░░░ becoming a much more ░░░░░░░░ society just by MAHER ░░░░░░░░ that s by free ░░░░░░░░ Barr That s good ░░░░░░░░ It s good Barr ░░░░░░░░ mean people people do ░░░░░░░░ free will and they ░░░░░░░░ be able and they ░░░░░░░░ be able Laughter MAHER ░░░░░░░░ Clip ends MAHER So ░░░░░░░░ re going to have ░░░░░░░░ talk to people and ░░░░░░░░ you ll find out ░░░░░░░░ they re not the ░░░░░░░░ you think they are ░░░░░░░░ mean do I apologize ░░░░░░░░ Bill Barr s I ░░░░░░░░ horrible behavior when the ░░░░░░░░ the Mueller report came ░░░░░░░░ and he basically lied ░░░░░░░░ it I don t ░░░░░░░░ look this is what ░░░░░░░░ call a good as ░░░░░░░░ gets Republican He came ░░░░░░░░ and said Trump lost ░░░░░░░░ election That s the ░░░░░░░░ thing in the Republican ░░░░░░░░ right now do you ░░░░░░░░ elections count only if ░░░░░░░░ win COSTA voice over ░░░░░░░░ good as it gets ░░░░░░░░ well be Maher s ░░░░░░░░ for politics Clip starts ░░░░░░░░ I certainly have my ░░░░░░░░ with the left Clip ░░░░░░░░ COSTA voice over and ░░░░░░░░ life MAHER To me ░░░░░░░░ are probably the good ░░░░░░░░ days It could get ░░░░░░░░ lot worse COSTA voice ░░░░░░░░ Not wishing for what ░░░░░░░░ be but recognizing what ░░░░░░░░ sees is real and ░░░░░░░░ you on if you ░░░░░░░░ not Clip starts MAHER ░░░░░░░░ say you re cynical ░░░░░░░░ politics Don t flatter ░░░░░░░░ Cynical comes when you ░░░░░░░░ too much You on ░░░░░░░░ other hand haven t ░░░░░░░░ to learn anything Clip ░░░░░░░░