Bill Maher was in a sparring mood on Friday night’s “Real Time,” confronting former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer about Donald Trump’s election lies, asking if Spicer thought the 2020 election was rigged and if he’s QAnon.
Although their interaction began cordially enough, with a smile and handshake, Spicer sat across from Maher and casually placed his book that he was there to plug, “Radical Nation,” on his lap. “I noticed you have your book there over your nuts,” Maher joked. “I’m not gonna — don’t worry, Sean, this is not a hostile interview.”
Both men laughed it off and agreed that “we have to come together as a country,” as Maher put it. “So I’m not here to kick you in the nuts.”
Maher, however, went right in on Spicer about his book’s subtitle, “Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’s Dangerous Plan for America.”
“‘Dangerous Plan for America’ — it seems like all the conservative books are alike– you’re always playing this ‘dangerous radical card.’ Is it really dangerous?” Maher asked.
Spicer argued that it is, citing the Afghanistan withdrawal, inflation and the Democrats’ spending bill, which he said no one knows what’s even in it, chiefly because it’s a 1,900-page document. And that’s when voices began to raise.
“Nobody ever knows what’s in a giant bill like that, so let’s just talk real talk,” Maher tossed back.
Spicer went all-in on the “radical” thing, throwing in the proposal to make the District of Columbia a state.
“You’re out of office two days and the country is an irretrievable s—hole,” Maher said. “Trump’s slogan is ‘Make America Great Again, Again.’ I couldn’t have written that, it’s such a parody of itself.” Maher pointed out that since in office, the administration has lifted millions of children out of poverty and doesn’t understand why Republicans voted down giving senior citizens dental coverage.
Those issues, Maher said, are reasonable discussions to have, as opposed to QAnon nonsense that many in the GOP have embraced and few have disavowed.
“They’re saying that Democrats eat babies. So you get that that’s lunacy,” Maher said. “What about ‘the election was rigged and Trump won’? Is that lunacy?”
Spicer dodged the ”yes or no” question with a “yes” or “no” answer, instead, wading into the familiar GOP water of “there are some serious problems with the election” (namely because of the pandemic).
Maher interrupted. “This is a rabbit hole you want to go down to avoid the question: Did Trump win or lose the election?”
“I don’t know!” Spicer shouted.
Satisfied, Maher responded, “Well, there ya go. Because the world does.”
You can watch the first part of the interview in the video at the top and the conclusion of it below.
