Bill Maher Tears Into Harris And Walz Over Flip Flops In Policy Promises During First Major Interview
On Friday night, “Real Time” host Bill Maher spoke on Vice President Kamala Harris’ CNN interview alongside running mate Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN), offering some praise, but also harsh criticism of her performance during the event.
“I thought she did great. I thought she did fine,” Maher said on Friday night, per Fox News. “I don’t know why we ever thought she was as bad as people thought she was. It was like Biden had that one bad night, she had a bad three years.”
Maher also praised the Vice President for not “taking the bait” when asked about former President Trump’s comments about her race.
“That was just so great,” Maher said. “She said ‘Same old playbook.’ And Dana said, like, ‘That’s it?’ ‘That’s it. That’s my answer, that’s all you’re getting.’”
However, Maher expressed frustration at both Harris and Walz for “insulting my intelligence” by evading certain questions and flip-flopping on some of their past stances. Specifically, he targeted Walz’s statement that he speaks the same as normal people.
“I’m incredibly proud. I’ve done 24 years of wearing the uniform of this country, equally proud of my service in a public-school classroom, whether it’s Congress or the governor,” Walz said during the interview after being asked about his time in the military. “My record speaks for itself, but I think people are coming to get to know me. I speak like they do. I speak candidly. I wear my emotions on my sleeves. And I speak especially passionately about our children being shot in schools and around guns. So, I think people know me. They know who I am. They know where my heart is. And again, my record has been out there for over 40 years to speak for itself.”
“No, you don’t. You’re a huge liar, like all politicians are. I don’t give a s— what you did during the Iraq War. You were in the Guard– I don’t understand why they just can’t–” Maher said, adding, “They’re just insulting my intelligence.”
Maher later discussed several of host Dana Bash’s questions towards Harris, and wondered aloud why the vice president appeared unwilling to admit that she may have been wrong about certain topics or opinions in the past.
“When [Bash] said, ‘What did you say when Biden called you and said he wasn’t running?’ ‘Well, I immediately thought of him first,’” Maher said. “I mean fracking . . . Dana Bash had her dead to rights. It was like ‘You said this, I have the quote. I’m reading it to you. You said there should be a ban on fracking.’ Why can’t they just go, ‘Yeah, you know what? I got it wrong.’”
RTM previously reported that Harris has backed away from her previous views on issues like eliminating private health insurance, decriminalizing illegal immigration, banning fracking for oil and gas — a major job sector in Pennsylvania and other states — as well as banning the sale of gasoline-powered cars by 2035.
“I think the most important and most significant aspect of my policy perspective and decisions is my values have not changed,” Harris said during the interview.
Recently, Harris released a campaign advertisement featuring the wall while stating that she would tackle the crisis at the southern border and falsely claiming that more illegal immigrants crossed into the U.S. under Trump, despite being a longtime critic of Trump’s immigration policy.
Maher noted how it was odd that Harris was constantly discussing finding a “new way forward,” noting, “It’s an odd thing to say when you’re in the present administration, is it not?”
Maher also mocked the way the interview was set up as a joint interview, referring to Walz as Harris’ “emotional support VP.”
“It was a little odd. He was just sitting there for a very long time without saying anything. He was just nodding while she did all the talking. The women’s focus groups said he must be a wonderful husband,” Maher joked. “Maybe that’s the strategy. They look like a married couple. They look like every interracial couple in every commercial.”