Past Guests Loomed Over This Week’s “Real Time With Bill Maher”

There were three guests on this week’s episode of Real Time With Bill Maher. First came H.R. McMaster, who’d spent time as the National Security Advisor in the Trump administration and is the author of a new book about his experience there. McMaster was followed by panelists Rich Lowry and John Avlon. The former is the editor-in-chief of National Review; the latter has had a long career in media and is now running for Congress.

All three guests had plenty to say, and they represented an interesting cross-section of American politics. But there was something especially interesting about this episode — specifically, in how a couple of previous Real Time guests ended up entering the discussion at odd times. Now, Maher is fond of getting meta about the way media operates, so that’s not all that surprising. It did lead to a few candid moments over the course of the night, however.

The second half of the panel discussion involved talk of the Tenet Media indictments, an investigation that encompassed a number of conservative pundits. One of those pundits was past Real Time guest Dave Rubin. Maher addressed Rubin’s response to the investigation, but also brought up the way that disinformation and political talking points can sometimes overlap.

“My question is, to the people who are ‘duped’: the fact that what the Russians want you to put out is, to begin with, so close to Republican talking points — that’s not a problem to you?” Maher asked.

Rubin wasn’t the only past guest to be invoked this week. During New Rules, Maher also brought up Robert F. Kennedy Jr in the context of Kennedy’s recent support for Trump’s campaign. “I like Bobby and always will, and there are things he has been right about that no one else would touch,” Maher said. “But yes, I also think he’s weird.”

Maher brought up Kennedy in the context of a larger argument about “the ick,” which began in the context of dating — “Once you give her the ick, that’s a wrap.” — but also showed up in a political context. “It’s what’s going to decide the election,” Maher said.

Here’s where things took a turn. If you’ve watched enough Real Time, you’re aware that Maher will often critique both the political right and left on the show. And that was the framework that he used to discuss “the ick” — essentially arguing that, sure, the Trump campaign was saying some strange and troubling things, but wasn’t the far left as well? Unfortunately, the example that he cited didn’t quite fit into that template.

Maher was frustrated by the online criticism of Cheryl Hines in the wake of Kennedy’s support of Trump. (Hines and Kennedy are married.) In broad strokes, Maher’s argument — that heaping scorn on someone for something their spouse said was troubling — made sense. It worked less as a critique of the “far left,” though, given that much of Maher’s ire was directed at Bradley Whitford for his rhetorical attacks on Hines. While Whitford has spoken warmly of a number of Democratic candidates over the years, he was also an early supporter of Pete Buttigieg’s 2020 campaign — not exactly positions synonymous with the concept of the “far left.”

When Maher used the phrase “liberals in theory” during the argument, his overall point felt more coherent. Earlier in the episode, he invoked something that else that felt far more relevant to this debate. Earlier, Maher discussed schools’ efforts to ban phones in classrooms, and spoke about their detrimental effects on mental health — something that seemed much more in keeping with the argument about people looking to criticize Trump and venting their ire on Hines instead.

Both the harmful effects of social media and Maher’s frustrations with left and right alike are ongoing themes on Real Time. But in this particular case, the former felt like a much more compelling explanation for the kind of behavior Maher was annoyed by. With Election Day two months off, it’s unlikely this is the last we’ll hear of either of Maher’s anathema subjects.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Almost Really, Really Screwed the Jets

Aaron Rodgers confirmed he would have retired to be RFK Jr.’s VP running mate

Some other notable moments from the episode:

Maher on the closeness of recent presidential elections: “It always comes down to a few thousand people in three states who can’t make up their mind between two things on the menu.”
Maher on Donald Trump’s approach to compliments: “Even when he’s calling you a rock, he has to be a better rock.”
Maher to guest H.R. McMaster, there to discuss his book At War With Ourselves: “You were in pretty much every war in my lifetime.”
McMaster on the U.S.’s campaign in Afghanistan: “It had been a one-year war fought 16 times over.”
During the panel discussion, there was a whole lot of Avlon and Lowry talking over one another, which made me think of the work of another recent guest on the show. (“Can’t you two see you’re in love?” Maher quipped after one especially forceful exchange.)
Maher on cows and camouflage: “The only place they can really hide is the Museum of Modern Art.”
My congratulations go to whatever Real Time staffer was tasked with creating the image of a literal bear claw on a fine dining plate. It looked appropriately bizarre.