Why I Want to Believe Bill Maher

It may not demand a leap of faith

HBO

In recent years, it’s no secret that Bill Maher has become a contentious figure. Once a lionized darling of the Left, he’s grown more a name for himself in recent years as one of their most vocal critics. Hearing some of his most scathing soundbites, it’s easy to believe that he’s been pulled into the MAGA wing.

Maher’s most recent controversy came when he was invited to the White House and spent a few hours with President Trump. Afterward, he reported that the time spent there was far more civil than he had anticipated, especially given Trump’s characteristic stream of negative tweets that preceded the meeting. On one hand, it’s hard for me to believe that our president could be doing what he is to our country and muster civility in any scenario — even for a moment. That a man ruled by such capricious whims could be anything close to rational.

Yet at the same time, it’s hard to believe that a president like Trump could exist to begin with. In every headline that emerges that reads more like satire than breaking news, we’re reminded of the reality TV personality in the White House. We’re reminded that a leader who was once too absurd for a South Park episode has become arguably the most powerful man in the world.