Bill Maher, a notorious Trump critic, shockingly defends the former president against media’s blatant misrepresentation of his Liz Cheney remarks.
At a Glance
- Maher says media lied about Trump saying Cheney should face a firing squad
- Trump, who said Cheney is a “war hawk,” was making metaphorical comments
- Rep. Jamie Raskin, a Democrat, agrees with Maher’s comments about media distortion
- Maher says he isn’t defending Trump, rather fighting misinformation
Maher Unexpectedly Defends Trump
Bill Maher, a liberal comedian who is a long-time critic of Donald Trump, came to his defense recently in an ironic twist. The source of the defense was recent comments Trump made about former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, which Maher says were grossly misrepresented by the media.
Maher didn’t hold back in his words about the media when he addressed this controversy. He said the media’s portrayal of the comments were just a blatant “lie.” The sharp-tongued comic even said that misrepresentation like this just undermines whatever legitimate criticism people have of Trump.
How the Firestorm Was Sparked
The comments that are at the heart of the controversy revolve around when Trump was criticizing the hawkish stance Cheney has regarding foreign policy. The former president suggested that she might be singing a different tune if there were “rifles shooting at her.” While the comment was certainly crude, it in no way called for her to be executed in some barbaric fashion.
What Trump was doing was pointing out how there’s a major disconnect between how some people are so eager to send the country to war, while they never have to be the ones who face the bullets. It’s not an out-of-line sentiment, or one that hasn’t been made by others before. But, the media pounced on it and tried to make Trump look horrible.
As Maher said, though:
“Just to be clear, this is exactly what hippies always said. This is exactly what peaceniks always said. This is ‘Fortunate Son’ the song. It’s like, you know what? It’s very easy to sit in your building and send young men to die. … You don’t have to move me to not like Donald Trump more than I already do.”
Media Twists Words to Get Clicks
CNN and The Washington Post each ran stories that had headlines that implied that Trump wishes Cheney would face a violent demise. It’s sensationalism at best, lying at worst, and it just gives people who support Trump even more ammunition for their claims of “fake news.”
CNN, in their infinite wisdom, decided to run with headlines implying Trump wished for Cheney’s violent demise. It’s the kind of sensationalism that gives journalism a bad name and Trump supporters more ammunition for their “fake news” crusade.
Maher exhibited a somewhat shocking moment of clarity that his fan base likely was taken aback by. He pointed out that Trump’s comments are no different than what happened during Vietnam War protests and in many instances since then.
How Dangerous It All Is
Maher wasn’t really defending Trump as much as he was attacking the press’ credibility. And he’s right — every time that someone in the media misrepresents or exaggerates Trump’s words, or those of other conservatives, they are in a sense actively validating the narrative of “fake news.”
“I don’t like Donald Trump,” Maher said. “Don’t lie to me and tell me he wants her (Cheney) in front of a firing squad. He was saying something that, by the way, if it came out of the mouth, some of it, not the stupid part, again, sounds like what hippies used to say.”
The Bottom Line
Many media outlets have become so focused on taking down Trump that they have lost sight of reporting the truth. Accuracy should be the number one goal, but it seems to have taken a major backseat to sensationalism.
The media on both sides needs to be committed to the truth, but it doesn’t seem as though the liberal left is interested in doing so.