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JJoshua's avatar

Ironically, a friend sent me the link to this video this morning. I watched it all.

Bill Maher I used to not like but I've come to like him. I find him to be pretty straight forward and somewhat has the ideas of old time Democrat.

I am absolutely not surprised of his reaction with dinner with the President. Us supporters of the President know this is EXACTLY who he is. Democrats have Trump Derangement Syndrome which is why they act the way Maher had mentioned in the video.

Did you notice he said he could NEVER speak to Hillary or Obama so freely and candidly as he did with President Trump. This to me is the most telling thing about his dinner. It reaffirms my belief of how fake and vapid Obama and Hillary are.

Would you sit down for dinner or a drink with Maher? Myself, as a Trump supporter and conservative, I absolutely would. I think we would agree on many things and when we disgree we wouldn't be yelling at each other.

I blame a LOT of the political unhingeness in this country on the media.

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Leah Rose's avatar

I also thought his remark about feeling like he could speak freely to Trump, but wouldn't have felt the same with Obama et al was the most telling statement he made. Says to me that at gut level Bill recognizes Trump is not elitist, and so he has no need to fear him.

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JJoshua's avatar

Exactly

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Dave Wenzel's avatar

One doesn't fear Trump because he's an elitist, one fear Trump because he knows no constraint.

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AJoy's avatar

The tel-lie-vision was never about entertainment but entrainment.

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JJoshua's avatar

True LOL

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Kristin's avatar

Do you still have the link? I’d love to watch the whole show. My YouTube only has bits and pieces.

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Mark In Houston's avatar

Thank you for sharing this JJoshua!🙏🏻

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JJoshua's avatar

You're welcome 😊

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Kristin's avatar

Thank you so much. The link works. Gonna watch now.🇺🇸😆

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URsomoney's avatar

Bill is still overrated & irritating - he could do a miniscule amount of research rather than be lazy & believe all the msm. Although I could probably get along with him if we smoked, not just a drink.

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Gnomon Pillar's avatar

lol.

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Indrek Sarapuu's avatar

Great post, but not sure I agree with you on Keith Olbermann.

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ElgeeR's avatar

Came here to say this. KO is KOOKOO.

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Danimal28's avatar

Olberman is WHACKO.

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Indrek Sarapuu's avatar

Couldn't have said it better.

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MongoJerry's avatar

Olbermann comes off like an unhinged scold

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Ryan's avatar

We have to be able to forgive and let people feel welcome if they start to change their minds. We have to be the bigger person. This craziness has to end.

It doesn't mean we have to agree with everything they say. We just have to agree to disagree and not punish them for being in a cult previously.

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WI Patriot's avatar

Bill hasn't changed his mind, but he did kinda say 'Trump's not Hitler'. The last few weeks he's been giving job interviews for the 2028 D candidates, Gavin, Mayor Pete, PA Josh, and even Raum Emanuel was on his panel. Bill was the first to get 'canceled' way back when he was on ABC, with Politically Incorrect but his hatred, real or contrived, of all Rs is his modus operandi. Only after an election will he give a slight 'McCain was a good guy' after completely villainizing any R. Two weeks ago he was 'joking' about Trump's cult following, all wearing red ties. I like Bill, but he's the one in the 'cult'. It started with the Tea Party, then MAGA, and now America First, and I think this is a movement that has taken over the Chamber/Country Club old guard of the 'Grand Old Party' and Bill's scared of being in a Party that's lost it's way and he's trying to save it. Good luck Bill.

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Alice Ball's avatar

Yes, this is my main gripe about Maher. He hates all Republicans and always reverts to this lane, even when he’s poking woketards.

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Samhain's avatar

I think he HAS to pile on Republicans; it's the only thing stopping him from being taken off the air. I think he knows right where the line is.

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Alice Ball's avatar

Why take him off the air? His show is pretty popular.

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Squinten Quinten's avatar

The thing is that he didn’t change his mind. He is changing his talking points because the culture is shifting.

He sees which way the wind is blowing and deciding to follow along.

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Masha V. Tupitsyn's avatar

Maher's big thing in his dinner report about not knowing Trump had a sense of humor, because he has never seen Trump laugh, is very revealing. It shows he has never watched his rallies or listened to his interviews. Trump jokes and laughs all the time, and is one of the great comedians of our era. His Desantis boot lifts impersonations a couple of years ago literally had me rolling. As a comedian, Maher should have spotted Trump's quick wit right away. Trump has been a public figure for decades. Come on. Also, all of Maher's anecdotes about the dinner was what he told or taught Trump, not what he might have learned or realized, apart that Trump is a human being who can laugh? As always, Maher is not interested in learning or changing his mind about anything. He's here to preach, and be a blowhard, just like he does on Club Random, where he literally doesn't let his guests speak.

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Kristin's avatar

I hate how he triangulates He sounds like a moron. Anyways.. what’s Bill supposed to do he’s stuck between a rock and

a hard place. His audience has always been liberal. So I guess he feels he can only go so far.

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Samhain's avatar

HBO as well. He slings a lot of legit criticism and hasn't been run off the air.

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Howling Wolf's avatar

Masha, I agree with your statement. We all also know that Obama was NOT born in the U.S & Obama's deal with Iran was disgusting. He gave Iran billions, & billions of U.S. dollars.

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William Banzai7's avatar

I am a native of NYC. As such, I have observed Donald Trump for a very long time. People are entitled to formulate their own opinions about the man. Despite his wealth and success, his brash style and often boorish entertainment persona, he never looked down on anyone and has demonstrated a willingness to help others in need. What infuriates me is the limousine liberal set, the Manhattan elites who know very well that he is not a fascist or modern reincarnation of Adolf Hitler choose to remain silent. They should know better. Their silence exposes their hypocrisy.

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NWCitizen's avatar

According to my cousin who works in financial concerns in NYC, everyone there knows Trump is a crook. He didn't start showing his fascist side until he got in politics. But he likes to dish it out also: Veteran’s Day speech, 2023 saying, “We pledge to you that we will root out the communists, Marxists, fascists, and the radical left thugs that live like VERMIN within the confines of our country.”

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Howling Wolf's avatar

Are you kidding me, NYC is corrupt as all get out. I have no problem with the statement President Trump said according to you regarding him going to root out the Communists, etc. If in fact that is what he said.

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NWCitizen's avatar

Well, Stone and other right wingers are constantly criticizing the left for calling Trump a "fascist, Hitler, etc., when Trump uses the same language to describe the left.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2RiVX-iVus Video of Trump making that statement.

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Howling Wolf's avatar

The fact that you listen to the propaganda MSM speaks volumes especially CNN. I guess you had a problem with President Trump speaking the truths about illegal immigration. No border no country; plain & simple. We will just have to agree to disagree.

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NWCitizen's avatar

So funny that right wingers reject actual videos of trump speaking. Do you expect right wing media to report or show all the vile things he does?

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Howling Wolf's avatar

I didn't listen to the entire video as CNN does promote complete propaganda. That being said, of what I did listen to President Trump spoke truths.

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cdbsilva's avatar

Thanks for the post. Tim Pool had a similar take on Maher’s dinner with Trump. With Maher being largely magnanimous over Trump’s reception of Maher’s sparring jabs at Trump’s rhetoric and demeanor in front of the camera. It was quite impressive. It’s so hard to keep from saying, “See. I told you so!” to the leftists that cheer Maher on when he skewers Trump, or my friends who tell me about it after the fact. It’s a good thing to have a relationship built on respect and a good argument over dinner. Good luck to us all for the hint of a return to civility. But not holding my breath.

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Mary Ann Caton's avatar

It will be the Democrats who cannot ever be civil. They will tear Maher apart just like a pack of hyenas because he will be seen as a traitor. SMH

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cdbsilva's avatar

Yes. They do eat their own, in a very self righteous and public way, because they hate a traitor almost as much as they hate Trump.

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Juju's avatar

Yep. That’s exactly what’s about to bubble up for Maher. They absolutely cannot believe anything else but Trump is evil and is destroying our country. The word will get around in their circles of how to digest this, and I wonder how many will wake up and finally see once it does. There are just so many hateful ones left that I can’t imagine it will be many.

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Mary Ann Caton's avatar

A pack of hyenas came to mind. Thanks for the link.

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JJoshua's avatar

I read that Mike Brock post this morning LOL

Liberals with TDS are truly unhinged. It's an among thing to watch.

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The Outsider's avatar

I was only able to read a few paragraphs, but got the message. Sasha is right; they are hopeless.

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Danimal28's avatar

That is a great article.

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Mary Ann Caton's avatar

Another example: liberals hating other liberals who own Teslas. It must be hard to keep up with all their moral purity tests.

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cdbsilva's avatar

The moral purity standard of the day, for the left, is whatever the mob says it is that day. But it’s never enough. They are completely unmoored from reality. So they continue to scream into the void hoping someone will listen to them. If they get ignored, they up the ante to violence. Collectivist anarchistic mental illness. And we are left to clean up their mess.

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Mary Ann Caton's avatar

Precisely.

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Sherri Sager's avatar

Sasha is living proof of that!

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Commonsense's avatar

Good article. Thank you!

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Marilyn's avatar

I thought i heard he was trying to sell his most recent book, and from what I heard it wasn't doing so well. Bet he has different things to say off the record to his lib friends!! So I don't believe he has mellowed.

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Dave Wenzel's avatar

Good thing the Right never attacks an associate showing balance - or has it been a little sticky for Amy Coney Barrett lately?

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Michael Smith's avatar

Sasha, you're to be commended for your epiphany, which took guts and insight.

Maher would be too, if I didn't have this gnawing feeling he's still triangulating. Such as, explaining to his crowd how Trump’s not really the jerk who appeals to his jerk MAGA followers.

Baby steps I suppose....

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Juju's avatar

My only problem is the title of this piece doesn’t match reality. Bill has not realized the media is lying. He made it very clear that he believes Trump is a different animal in public than private and he used a recent 60-minute piece as evidence. The truth is Trump is the same in both places, it’s the media that lies about what he is really like by their selectivity in what they show. If Bill realized the media lies, he would have recognized that 60-minutes chose to portray Trump that way and it was not fair coverage. He did not realize that, and instead he said “where’s Glenda the good witch?” meaning Trump was purposefully being polar opposite.

Because of that I’m hesitant to believe he is truly waking up. Maybe it will take the backlash of the left portraying Bill opposite what Bill really is for him to really wake up??

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Marilyn's avatar

I heard he is trying to sell his newest book, and it isn't selling well. So maybe that is why he is trying to appear to be softening. He's not fooling me.

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AmericanTruthPatriot's avatar

Interesting take on Trump, from Maher. Nothing really new that we didn’t already know about him. The thing that stands out is how UNAWARE Libs are of how they act and what they say, about Trump and others on the right. Just watch one hearing in congress. Or look at the last State of The Union. If Trump made a list of Maher’s insults against him, it would be 10 pages, not one. They just don’t get it. They have this God complex. It’s OK for me but not for thee. #Clueless

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NWCitizen's avatar

How long would Trump's list of insults to his opponents be? You just have to look at what Trump is doing in his 2nd term to know that he is clueless.

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Jamal X's avatar

Several years while on a long cruise in the Indian Ocean, a white man from Texas uninvitedly sat at my table on a deck of the ship. He said that Obama was divisive. He then related that my civil rights would be taken away. This white supremacist also stated that I was "clueless." Here we are today with the Fourteenth Amendment being reinterpreted to prove white privilege with elements of Jim Crow. I usually don't bring up politics while vacationing or when I'm around absurd white supremacists talking crazy.

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The Radical Individualist's avatar

I can only give Maher just a little bit of credit. It took him this long to figure out he's clueless.

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Jonny's avatar

You're right, but don't forget he's pushing 70. Most are pretty set in their ways by then. I'm going to give him some credit not only for being able to change, but doing it at a pace that is more acceptable to his followers than something more abrupt would be. I want him to drag them all back to sanity. Not an easy task!

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Matt L.'s avatar

My take is Bill’s meeting w/ Trump was a business $ decision. HBO knows its audience, shares it w/ Bill and that’s the trough Maher feeds from.

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Jonny's avatar

I don't want to have such a cynical belief in the absence of evidence. Mayer is worth about $160M, so I'm not convinced that he needs to do something like this for money.

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The Radical Individualist's avatar

Umm....I'm 76. I was NEVER as dumb as Bill Maher.

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Ryan's avatar

Trump gave him a chance after everything he personally endured. I think we should too. The alternative is the status quo.

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Pat Robinson's avatar

I agree this was a long time coming from Maher, gas lighter in chief.

Except when talking to Bannon and the subject of lawfare came up, Gaslight Bill said the GOP did it first with “lock her up” chants regarding Hillary.

Of course all Bannon had to do was demand Maher list a single charge Clinton was forced to defend in court, which is of course zero, vs how many dozens thrown at Trump where he spent a lot of time and money in court fighting.

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Ataraxis's avatar

She should have faced multiple trials for her many real crimes.

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Jamal X's avatar

The Supreme Court of the United States, perceived by some as influenced by a corrupted form of Christian nationalism, declined to permit the adjudication of a convicted felon who faces significant and pending charges related to issues such as election interference and incitement of insurrection. These allegations represent serious legal concerns that warrant thorough examination and consideration for potential incarceration.

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Eric Sowers's avatar

Remember Dennis Miller? When he was red pilled I thought he had lost his mind; he didn’t last long after that.

Political apostasy, as we know, is hard to forgive. Shamefully, as a Democrat, I was as guilty of the shunning as anybody, ands isn’t it strange how we can equate changing one’s mind on politics to the blackest of crimes? My relatives have always been frenzied Democrats and Maher fans, and it will be interesting to see if they still are. Whatever he loses on the left, he should pick up on the right, though.

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Mary Ann Caton's avatar

As a former Democrat myself, I can testify that Republicans have been warm and welcoming. I’ve been told that Democrats don’t welcome former Republicans into their tribe.

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Eric Sowers's avatar

Democrats seem to take it way too seriously - “(s)he used to be a Republican….” - like it’s an indelible stain. Republicans, by and large, are tickled to death to have once more Republican voter.

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Pat Robinson's avatar

I can forgive someone who admits to and doesn’t want to be a woke moron anymore.

But if they are still communists, fuck’em.

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KathyD's avatar

I thought Maher’s comment to DJT about how DJT should change because he is scaring people should actually be directed at the media. It’s not DJT’s fault that the media only broadcasts “scary Trump”. Maybe Maher will question the media a little more now? And maybe some in his audience will as well?

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HL3's avatar

Funny MAGA only wants liberals to question the MSM and MAGA never questions their own media.

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KathyD's avatar

I’m not MAGA. I lean right and haven’t watched Fox News in 10 years, which, BTW, is the only MSM outlet on the right.

I would argue that there are way more right leaning people who have sought out other sources of news and information than liberals. Look at all the popular podcasts and Substacks who have right leaning subscribers. Including podcasters and writers who were former liberals who have found and audience who doesnt want to live in a right wing bubble.

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Sun Love Pax's avatar

I gave up Fox when it became the home for a lot of former GWB staffers and former Republican candidates like Huckabee and Palin. Watching Karl Rove give opinions wasn’t my idea of ‘insightful journalism’. Giving up cable news completely was liberating. Have had no desire to go back and watch and now I cringe when I see the restaurant or bar I’m in showing it. Don’t care if it’s CNN or Fox. Both are horrible.

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KathyD's avatar

I am hopeful more middle of the road people, on all sides, find alternative news sites. It’s great to see the market find solutions for people who just want the news and publish all sides of the story. It’s so valuable knowing the whole story.

I really miss listening to Paul Harvey’s ‘The Rest of the Story’. He had such a talent for making people realize how important both sides of a story can be.

I am also enjoying incredibly talented people, who left their bubble (or were kicked out) like Sasha, who put out amazing content!

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HL3's avatar

I find what you just say very misleading. I find a lot of the bubbles in Substack are very one sided only and people don't leave those bubbles. They read a of news and information but often its the same reinforced narrative similar to liberals.

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Pacificus's avatar

Sasha's Substack not a bubble, HL3. We have you as the house Left wing lunatic to confirm the righteousness of our points. So, keep talking, you are helping the Cause.

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HL3's avatar
Apr 13Edited

What else do you define a system where anything against one party is treated as a enemy?

By the way she has banned liberals on here already.

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Pacificus's avatar

Oh HL3, you aren't the "enemy," you are just Wrong. Big difference!

What "liberal" has been banned on this site?

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KathyD's avatar

There is no way for you to know who reads what and if people stay in a bubble or not, unless you have access to podcast/Substack user and subscription data.

You seem to be making assumptions based on comments. And your assumption about me and my comment was categorically incorrect.

Not all readers and or subscribers comment. You sound like a troll who targets comments you “think” are MAGA, instead of trying to engage in conversations with an open mind.

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HL3's avatar

I base my comments on what I see and read and most often are so angry , hateful on anything contrary to their point of view its either bubble like or just a bubble they put themselves in. I am not defending liberals either who have their own bubble or echo chambers its our society. Heck I seen people who cant even admit Trump blinked on the recent tariffs so committed to their bubble.

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KathyD's avatar

If you base your opinions on comments, you are basing your opinion on a microcosm of the population. A small minority of people choose to comment.

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William Skelley's avatar

I don’t have to have dinner with Trump to know he has more in common with me than anyone on the left. There is no one in the Democratic Party I can relate to at all

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NWCitizen's avatar

LOL! He has you duped that he cares about the "middle class." When does he ever hang out with the middle class? His friends & cronies are billionaires that he hangs out with a Mar-a-lala or his other resorts.

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Maurice St. Cloud's avatar

I don’t know about seeing the real guy in Trump. For me, he seems like the one guy who will actually stand up and do the things I’ve waited for since the 1980s, when I was a teen. He looks a lot like the last stand. Or Excalibur.

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Oakley's avatar

Authenticity. Trump is authentic. That's what th Left can't tolerate. The phony, fake, Left (and some Rinos) are nakedly exposed for who they are in the face of the authentic, and deep down they know it.

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NWCitizen's avatar

Trump is the biggest fake of all pretending to be "religious" and care about the "middle class." When does he ever hang out with the middle class? His friends & cronies are billionaires that he hangs out with a Mar-a-lala or his other resorts.

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Oakley's avatar

Jealous much?

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NWCitizen's avatar

No, I have NO interest in living like trump.

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Jeff Keener's avatar

I think Maher may have begun sampling the red pill during COVID. That seemed to be the inflection point for many blue people. Previous to that, though, Maher was a prime source of partisan/cultural division in the Republic.

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Pat Robinson's avatar

I have watched Maher forever but lately it’s been tough, like the entire left Trump broke his brain.

Lately I would just forward to the end for new rules unless he had a decent first guest (the yammering Rob Reiner definitely does not count).

It was a good segment but until bill issues the mea culpa for all of it, he’s on the shit list.

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WI Patriot's avatar

I've watched Bill for a long time but why did he cut the panel to two? Being a trice DJT voter I still find humor, hair, huge, ect. Any chance Ann Coulter is invited back? When she was picking DJT in the primary of 2016 the audience laughed and I started thinking, wait a minute, maybe she's on to something, sure enough.

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