Bill Maher Issues Scathing Takedown of Democrats & the Media

Bill Maher slammed the media for refusing to call the 9/11 attacks “terrorism” and Democrats for calling the Israel-Hamas War in Gaza “genocide.”

In the Friday, September 11 episode of Real Time With Bill Maher, the late-night host, 70, acknowledged the milestone anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers during his “New Rule” segment,

“Since it’s the 25th anniversary of 9/11 and since for 25 years, we’ve been kept relatively safe from anything close to 9/11, how about a hand for the Americans who made that happen,” he said, as the seals for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Central Intelligence Agency, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation were displayed.

Maher continued, “Because it didn’t just happen. There was a war on terror, and we won. And yet, so much has changed since 9/11. For example, back then, we were against the terrorists.”

He explained, “Now, a lot of media outlets don’t even want you to say the ‘T’ word. On the 20th anniversary, four American journalism associations put out guidance that said, ‘terrorism’ should only be used in quotes because it’s emotionally and politically loaded.”

That’s when Maher snarked, “Yeah, so is the World Cup. But we don’t be ‘soccer’ in quotes.” He added, “Really? We can’t anymore say out loud who the bad guys were that morning? Those 19 hijackers. They shared something — oh, let’s call it a worldview — and it wasn’t astrology.”

Maher then quipped, “When it comes to terrorist attacks, please, there are very fine people on both sides.”

Additionally, Maher pointed out the CBC News staff were instructed, “Do not refer to the Sept. 11 attacks as terrorist attacks.” He then asked, “What should we call it then? Unruly passenger? A wrong turn taken at the Chrysler Building? Why not just say the planes and the towers got into a fight?”

Maher also said that BBC reporters were told the word ‘terrorist’ quote ‘can be a barrier rather than an aid to understanding.’”

That’s when he bluntly stated, “You know what’s really a barrier to understanding? Lying.”

Maher explained, “After 9/11, there was a big debate: Was this a clash of civilizations? It was, and it still is. Not between Muslims and Christians — no reasonable person was saying that. But radical Islamism versus Western liberalism, yes, that’s a real thing. Fight people who hate freedom of religion, and hate homosexuals, and hate the idea of women as equal and free humans — how did liberals end up on their side?”

The stand-up comedian then shared a surprising statistic: “One in five young Americans now has a positive view of Osama bin Laden,” he said. “He’s like Luigi Mangione in a turban.”

Although Maher acknowledged that it was wrong when “innocent Muslims came under suspicion,” he pointed out that the “worst thing about 9/11 was 3,000 people got roasted at the office.”

He added, “But the prevailing view of so many young people is that, ‘Well, come on. We’re the worst country ever. So if someone attacks us, it can’t be all bad.’ That certainly wasn’t the attitude 25 years ago.”

In his “New Rule” segment, Maher also brought up the cancellation of his show Politically Incorrect in 2002.

“I know a guy whose show got canceled just for saying the terrorists weren’t cowards,” he said. “And that guy was right. They weren’t cowards, but I’ll tell you who is: Democratic Party politicians… Because nowhere has this moral confusion become more obvious than in a place called Gaza — a little strip of land that was not part of the original Israel, but which they won in a war launched against them, but then gave back as a peace gesture.”

Maher also quipped, “I think Macklemore spoke for all clueless celebrities when he said, ‘I know enough to know this is a genocide.’ Actually, you don’t know s***. It’s not a genocide; it’s a counterattack in a war.”

Real Time With Bill Maher, Fridays at 10/9c, HBO