Bill Maher issued a scathing rebuke to Republicans for their sweeping changes to abortion rights, saying they look like “the dog that caught the car.”
The comedian, 68, addressed the issue of abortion rights while discussing the Arizona Supreme Court’s strict ruling that instituted a near-total ban on abortion, prompting some Republicans, most notably Donald Trump, to withdraw their support. in the midst of a violent reaction.
Trump previously called for the overturning of Roe v Wade, which triggered the Arizona ruling, but angered his supporters when he spoke out against a national ban this week.
Maher suggested that Republicans are like “the dog that caught the car,” as they didn’t know what to do now that they achieved their goal.
‘For 50 years, there was talk of getting rid of abortion. “They did it and it’s very unpopular, and now they basically have to lie,” Maher said.
Bill Maher, 68, criticized Republicans for backing away from their absolutist stance on abortion, suggesting they are like “the dog that caught the car.”
Abortion will be one of the biggest issues in the 2024 elections following the reversal of Roe v Wade, which led some states to enact strict abortion bans that are unpopular among large swaths of voters.
Donald Trump came under fire from his own party this week when he U-turned on the abortion issue, calling it a “states issue” after previously taking credit for the overturning of Roe v Wade and arguing that women who have abortions should face a “punishment”.
Trump came under scrutiny from his party this week as he waded into the abortion debate, amid pressure to make his position clear following the uproar over Arizona’s controversial ban.
He said: ‘My view is that now that we have abortions where everyone wanted it from a legal standpoint, the states will determine it by voting or legislation, or maybe both.
And whatever they decide should be the law of the land. In this case, the state law… Many states will be different. Many will have a different number of weeks, or some will be more conservative than others, and that will be what they will be.
“At the end of the day, all this depends on the will of the people.”
Trump also sparked a backlash among his far-right supporters with a post on Truth Social, where he admitted that Arizona “went too far” with its abortion ruling.
The statement marked a departure from Trump’s past rhetoric, including calls for any woman who undergoes an abortion to be “punished,” as Maher noted it could harm his base.
Can he lie his way out of this? Maher disputed, adding that the abortion issue means that Arizona, a swing state, will “definitely be in play” for Democrats in 2024.
“A lot of people think it’s murder. That’s why I don’t understand the 15 weeks thing, or Trump’s plan is, ‘Let’s leave it to the states.’ You mean killing babies is okay in some states?” Maher asked. .
‘I can respect the absolutist position. I really can. I scold the left when they say, ‘Oh, you know what? They just hate women, people who are not pro-choice.’ They don’t hate women. They just made it up.
He went on to make a comment that drew silence from the audience, noting, “They think it’s murder, and in a way it is.” I’m fine with that. Am. I mean, there are 8 billion people in the world. Sorry, we won’t miss you. That’s my position on the matter.’
Trump also sparked a backlash among his far-right supporters with a post on Truth Social, where he admitted that Arizona “went too far” with its abortion ruling.
One of Maher’s guests, British journalist Piers Morgan (pictured), admitted that Trump made a “U-turn” for “political reasons” but said he saw the logic behind it because abortion is essentially a ” huge banana skin” for the Republicans in the elections.
Maher’s argument that abortion rights could tilt the election in favor of Democrats is a new Wall Street Journal The survey found it to be a major problem among suburban women.
The poll found that 39 percent of suburban women say abortion is a decisive election issue for them, and three-quarters say it should be legal all or most of the time, while a majority found that Trump’s positions were too strict.
One of Maher’s guests, British journalist Piers Morgan, admitted that Trump made a “U-turn” for “political reasons,” but said he saw the logic behind it because abortion is essentially a “massive banana peel.” for Republicans in the elections.
‘He did it in 2016 to take the evangelicals with him. She said, ‘I’m going to pack the court, do this, and overturn Roe v. Wade’. So they all came with him, and I think now he thinks he has them,” Morgan told Maher.
“I don’t support what he’s doing, but I understand the political reasons why he’s doing it, and I think it could be quite effective in neutralizing what is becoming a huge banana peel for the party.
And I think that’s what he’s recognized and is getting ahead of it. I think it might work for him.
The debate comes amid poor polling for Biden and Trump ahead of the election, as Americans generally think that while in the White House, both did more harm than good on key issues.
But the two candidates have different weaknesses.
For Biden, it is about widespread discontent on two issues: the economy and immigration. Meanwhile, Trump faces an electorate in which a significant number believe he has harmed the country on a number of issues.
A new poll from the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that more than half of American adults think Biden’s presidency has hurt the country in terms of the cost of living and immigration, while nearly half think it Trump’s presidency harmed the country in terms of voting rights and electoral security. , relations with foreign countries, abortion laws and climate change.