Most Talked-About Controversies Linked to Bill Maher

A closer look at the most debated and controversial moments involving Bill Maher.

Bill Maher is an American comedian, television host, actor, and political commentator. He is best known for his politically charged satire and hosting political talk shows. He currently hosts HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher" (since 2003) and the podcast "Club Random" (since 2022). Previously, he hosted "Politically Incorrect" (1993-2002) on Comedy Central and ABC, solidifying his presence as a prominent figure in political comedy and commentary.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Controversies & Scandals

June 16, 2002: Cancellation of Politically Incorrect

On June 16, 2002, Politically Incorrect was canceled.

Loading Video...

2002: Politically Incorrect Cancellation

In 2002, ABC decided against renewing Bill Maher's contract for Politically Incorrect, following controversial on-air remarks after the September 11 attacks.

Loading Video...

2008: Religulous Documentary Release

In 2008, Religulous, a documentary film by Bill Maher exploring his critical views of religion, was released.

Loading Video...

2012: "9/11 Liberals" Panel Discussion

In a 2012 panel discussion with Salman Rushdie, Bill Maher counted himself, Rushdie, and others such as Christopher Hitchens and Sam Harris as "9/11 liberals", differentiating themselves from mainstream liberals regarding religion.

June 7, 2013: Support for NSA's PRISM data collection

On June 7, 2013, Bill Maher expressed limited support on his show for the NSA's PRISM intelligence data collection from private phone calls and the Internet, citing the threat of terrorists obtaining and using nuclear weapons as the tipping point for his support.

2014: Defense of Israel's military actions

During the 2014 Gaza war, Bill Maher defended Israel's military actions against Palestinians amid criticism over civilian deaths, arguing that Israel was showing restraint and criticizing those who questioned their right to self-defense. He also faced online backlash for tweeting about dealing with Hamas.

2014: "Flip a District" Contest

In the lead-up to the 2014 midterm elections, Bill Maher conducted a "Flip a District" contest on his HBO show, aiming to oust Republican Representative John Kline from Minnesota's 2nd congressional district, but was unsuccessful.

November 2015: Opposition to accepting Syrian refugees

In November 2015, Bill Maher expressed opposition to the United States accepting Syrian refugees, arguing that some refugees have values which are at odds with American values due to some refugees may be coming from places which are governed by Sharia law or want to be.

2015: Criticism of Obama's visit to Saudi Arabia

In 2015, Bill Maher criticized Barack Obama's visit to Saudi Arabia, a close U.S. ally, stating, "Stop respecting their medieval bullshit under the guise of, 'It's their culture.'", expressing his disapproval of certain aspects of Saudi Arabian culture and U.S. foreign policy.

October 2016: Criticism of Julian Assange

In October 2016, Bill Maher criticized WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for publishing leaks from the DNC's emails, expressing his feeling that Assange had "lost his way" and harbored animosity towards Hillary Clinton.

March 31, 2017: Response to Hillary Clinton's defeat

On March 31, 2017, Bill Maher responded to suggestions that Hillary Clinton was preparing to end her low profile and speak out following her defeat, advising her to "stay in the woods" and let someone else have a chance, comparing her loss to Bill Buckner's error in the World Series.

June 2017: "House Nigger" controversy

In June 2017, Bill Maher faced criticism for saying "I'm a house nigger" in an off-the-cuff joke on Real Time in response to Senator Ben Sasse. HBO called Maher's remarks "inexcusable and tasteless" and removed the segment from future airings. Maher apologized and had a discussion about the controversy on his show.

Loading Video...

2017: Criticism of the Left's Alliance with Islamists

In 2017, Bill Maher agreed with Sam Harris that the left has allied itself with Islamists and that liberals have failed to stand up to Islamic extremism. Maher defended his criticism of Islam and Sharia law.

February 2018: Criticism of the #MeToo movement

In February 2018, Bill Maher described the #MeToo movement as McCarthyism.

April 13, 2018: Prediction of Trump's refusal to concede

On April 13, 2018, Bill Maher began a series of predictions on Real Time with Bill Maher suggesting that Donald Trump would refuse to concede if he lost the 2020 United States presidential election, a theme he would reiterate over multiple broadcasts and interviews.

March 14, 2019: Trump's assertion of support

On March 14, 2019, Donald Trump asserted that he had the support of the police, the military, and bikers, which Bill Maher cited as evidence that Trump would seek to remain in office by force, reinforcing Maher's prediction that Trump would not concede the election.

August 2019: Denouncement of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement

In August 2019, Bill Maher denounced the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, criticizing its premise and responding to Rep. Rashida Tlaib's call to boycott his talk show. He also condemned the October 7 attacks as Israel's 9/11, cautioning Israel against losing the moral high ground in the Gaza war.

August 2019: Statement on economic recession

In August 2019, Bill Maher stated that an economic recession would be "worth it" to prevent Donald Trump's re-election in 2020, expressing a preference for enduring economic hardship over another term for Trump.

2019: Criticism for views on vaccines

In 2019, David Gorski and others criticized Bill Maher for his HBO interview with Dr. Jay Gordon and Maher's claims about vaccines, including speculation about a link between vaccines and autism.

January 25, 2020: 'New Rules' segment on Trump's refusal to leave

On January 25, 2020, Bill Maher dedicated a 'New Rules' end segment to the subject of Donald Trump potentially refusing to concede any loss in the 2020 United States presidential election, highlighting the seriousness of the issue.

April 2020: Defense of the term "Wuhan virus"

In April 2020, Bill Maher criticized those who equated using the term "Wuhan virus" with racism, arguing that scientists have historically named diseases after the places they originated from, such as the Zika Forest and Ebola River, and that the term was not related to Asian Americans but to China.

August 7, 2020: Continued predictions about Trump

On August 7, 2020, Bill Maher continued to predict that Donald Trump would refuse to concede any loss in the 2020 United States presidential election on 'Real Time with Bill Maher,' reinforcing his concerns about a peaceful transfer of power.

August 15, 2020: Interview with Vanity Fair

On August 15, 2020, in an interview with Vanity Fair, Bill Maher stated that "we've baked it into the cake that he's not going to leave," referring to Donald Trump and his potential refusal to leave office.

September 25, 2020: Criticism of media coverage

On September 25, 2020, during an edition of Real Time, Bill Maher criticized the framing of a New York Times story by Michael Crowley headlined "Trump Won't Commit to Peaceful Transfer of Power," asserting that the media should have amplified the severity of Trump's threats.

2020: Support for Chris Matthews

In 2020, Bill Maher supported Chris Matthews against allegations of sexual harassment and downplayed allegations against Al Franken.

January 2021: Promotion of COVID-19 lab leak theory

In January 2021, Bill Maher promoted the COVID-19 lab leak theory.

March 2021: Criticism of China's treatment of Uyghurs

In March 2021, Bill Maher criticized China's treatment of the Uyghur minority in Xinjiang. However, he also said that the United States has "lost" to China in the "battle for the 21st century", pointing to China's advancements in high-speed rail while the U.S. is focused on "woke competition".

April 16, 2021: Criticism of COVID-19 media coverage

On April 16, 2021, Bill Maher criticized media coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic, calling it "panic porn" and said media has an agenda to spin information.

2021: Opposition to NFL's "Black national anthem"

In 2021, Bill Maher opposed the NFL's decision to play the "Black national anthem" before games, considering it a form of segregation. He argued for one national anthem and rejected separate ceremonies based on race, which drew some criticism.

March 2022: Defense of Florida Parental Rights in Education Act

In March 2022, Bill Maher rebuked liberals for their opposition to the Florida Parental Rights in Education Act and defended Republicans for pushing the bill.

May 2022: Comments on LGBT Identification and Transgender Healthcare

In May 2022, Bill Maher commented on the rise of LGBT identification, suggesting it was trendy. He also referred to puberty blockers and other transgender health care for trans youth as "literally experimenting on children".

2022: Blaming Hollywood for mass shootings

In 2022, Bill Maher blamed mass shootings in part on Hollywood's romanticization of gun violence in movies, despite acknowledging that he is glad guns exist as they "level the playing field".

2022: Criticism of Biden administration's Disinformation Governance Board

In 2022, Bill Maher criticized the Biden administration's Disinformation Governance Board and agreed with the comparison that the board was similar to the Ministry of Truth from George Orwell's dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four.

1984: 75th Anniversary

Check it on Amazon

2022: Criticism of Democratic Party's diversity priorities

In 2022, Bill Maher criticized the Democratic Party for "checking boxes" in regard to candidates of different identity groups, stating that Democrats prioritize diversity over merit. He has also spoken out against critical race theory but supports teaching the history of racism.

September 2023: Criticism of 2023 Writers Guild of America strike

In September 2023, Bill Maher criticized the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike, expressing disagreement with some of the writers' demands, particularly the mandate for a specific number of writers on each show.

February 2024: Unreleased Kanye West Interview

In February 2024, Bill Maher revealed that he decided not to release a two-hour interview with Kanye West recorded for Club Random because of the rapper's recent antisemitic comments.

March 2025: Criticism of NPR Journalism

After NPR CEO Katherine Maher defended NPR's journalism as "completely unbiased" at a congressional hearing in March 2025, Bill Maher characterized the radio network as "crazy far-left" and called for defunding public media outlets, arguing that the country is "past the age" of subsidizing them.

September 2025: Criticism of lack of coverage on persecution of Christians in Nigeria

In September 2025, Bill Maher criticized the lack of news coverage on the persecution of Christians in Nigeria, stating that they are being "systematically killed" and questioning why there weren't protests about it.