The liberal comedian has been urging 80-year-old Biden to step aside, predicting a Trump victory
Bill Maher, the host of “Real Time,” is enthusiastically endorsing Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., who officially announced a primary challenge against President Biden earlier in the day.
During the conversation on Friday night, Maher introduced Phillips as the “new Mike Johnson,” in other words, a fresh face in Congress that he’s not familiar with. Maher went on to highlight Phillips’ background, noting that he hails from Minnesota, is of Jewish descent, and is 54 years old. Maher pointed out that Phillips is a strong supporter of President Biden and echoes his sentiments, appreciating the job he’s done but cautioning against a repeat.
Phillips comes from a self-made millionaire family involved in the organic vodka business, and Maher expressed his support for Phillips as a candidate for the presidency of the United States, inviting his audience to share their thoughts on the matter.
Democratic strategist and “The Five” co-host Jessica Tarlov wasn’t nearly as on board with Phillips and Maher was, listing red flags including him having Lincoln Project co-founder Steve Schmidt as a campaign adviser, but Maher was not deterred.
“I love Dean Phillips because nobody knows who the f— he is, and that’s good!” Maher exclaimed. “You know what I know about him? He’s 54 and he’s got a ‘D’ next to his name. He’s already got half the votes and he doesn’t have any of the baggage of the other guys.”
Phillips officially started his unlikely campaign for president on Friday. He sent a message that walked a fine line by complimenting President Biden’s track record while expressing uncertainty about the 80-year-old’s chances of winning a second term.
Among the Democrats, Phillips is only the second person to challenge Biden. The first was Marianne Williamson, a spiritual leader who also ran in the 2020 election. In October, another person, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., decided to run for president as an independent, even though he previously ran as a Democrat. There’s also an independent candidate, Cornel West, who is a progressive activist in the race.
Bill Maher, who used to strongly support President Biden, has started to voice his concerns about Biden’s chances in the 2024 election. He had a conversation on his show “Club Random” with Democratic strategist James Carville, who is also worried about the president’s prospects, especially considering recent polls.
Maher shared his view, saying, “I think we’re on the same page with Biden. He did great things, but while in 2020 he might have been the best candidate to defeat Trump, I now believe he’s the only one who would lose to him in 2024.”
Bill Maher pointed out that President Biden achieved significant accomplishments, not just by defeating Trump, but also in handling major issues like Afghanistan and Ukraine. He also noted that the U.S. economy fared better than most other countries’ economies after the pandemic.
However, Maher expressed concern that Biden may lose in the 2024 election because, over time, public perception can become a defining reality. He believes Biden is still capable of effectively governing in the quiet rooms of the Oval Office but might not perform well in presidential debates. Consequently, Maher thinks Biden is likely to lose.
Maher has been drawing a parallel between Biden and the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who chose not to retire during the Obama administration, ultimately leading to her replacement by a conservative justice under Trump. He playfully refers to the president as “Ruth Bader Biden” and even sells merchandise with the slogan “Time to go, Joe!” to underscore his belief that Biden should consider stepping aside.