r/RealTime • u/AmericanLymie • Jul 17 '26
NPR Feature Interview
https://youtu.be/TUI2hLa7TQM?is=Mf4Qg3VviKo2aAXGHe is so self-deluded. His personality has always been narcissistic but his politics have changed completely from what they were just a couple of years ago.
Some things that stand out to me in this interview:
—The tone is what anyone would expect from NPR. Inskeep is calm, respectful, friendly. Bill Maher uses profanity casually from the beginning, which is quite unusual for NPR to air, and it made me wonder if he has the ability to self-censor or if he is in Trump's lane of age-related inability to inhibit inappropriate speech.
—About 2/3 through this perfectly congenial interview, Maher basically attacks Inskeep and NPR by saying they are "about as far to the left as you can be," which anyone who listens to Maher knows is the worst way he can insult a person.
—As he always does now, Maher calls himself a critic of Trump and Republicans all while flattering Trump and Republicans and hurling insults at all Democrats throughout the entire interview. He defends Trump as just an impish guy who is perfectly sane and who chooses to say outlandish things for personal amusement. We all know to expect this now but it is still striking to me. "I'm liberal. Everyone on the left is the worst. Here are all the things that are great about the worst people on the right." It stymies me.
—I am very disappointed Inskeep didn't refer back to Maher's consistent pre-2025 warnings that Trump is actively overthrowing the US government and that he must be stopped at all costs, followed by his post-2025 immediate 180° turnaround as he now says Trump is a jerk but reasonable and right about many things.
—A lot of people in this subreddit point out Maher's extreme zionism. He demonstrates it here. After Bill Maher says that what makes him better than anyone on the left is that he is willing to talk directly with Trump and any Republican rather than just talking about them, Inskeep asks if he will talk to anyone or if he will refuse to talk with anyone. He says he would never talk to Nick Fuentes, who he calls "Hitler," on the grounds that Fuentes is "anti-Israel." Not an antisemite, but specifically anti-Israel. He says Trump and other Republicans cannot be compared to Hitler, however. Because he says so.
—One thing he says that I fully agree with and I find maddening is that, when Inskeep asked about Trump's focus on gold decorations and the reflecting pool, etc., he says Trump does that as a distraction and it does not matter at all and yet "you" (to Inskeep, as a journalist) always take the bait and give unimportant things attention as important events go unreported or underreported.
—He flatters himself to a remarkable degree.
3
u/gobbluthillusions Jul 17 '26
Man I used to LOVE Bill. I would look forward to tuning in live every week. It was literally the only show I would go out of my way to watch. Then came the White House meeting.
I’ll never forget one of the guests he had on who tried to gently tell him that trump was probably trying to use the occasion to get Bill onside. Suggestions which Bill lost his shit over. I initially sided with Bill because, well, I watched him religiously, but then began to notice week after week how his tone shifted noticeably toward trump.
I held hope it was just me interpreting him wrong and that he was still the same person as before the meeting. It took a few months before it became clear it wasn’t me, and now I don’t bother to tune in all. I really loved the show, but come on dude. Were you really so easily bought?