"I Don't Think We Are Smart Enough To Survive"; Bill Maher On America's Future, Trump, & PC Culture

on Larry King now it's our 1000th episode the guest is Bill Maher I've heard for the last few years that we've been like in this partisan hell you got to talk to the other side and when people say that what they really mean is you got to try to convince them and I'm saying that doesn't work you never convince people politically when you have Trump people wearing a t-shirt that says I'd rather be with the Russians and with the Democrats they don't even realize that that's treason whatever Putin is not an American Nancy Pelosi is we're going to get back to normal that should be their slogan and their theme let's get back to normal people are just exhausted by this president Plus and I pulled out my own wallet and paid him back and without missing a beat the guy goes what about the airfare it's all next on Larry King now [Music] welcome to Larry King now our 1000th episode on Ora today I'm joined by my friend Bill Maher the comedian and host just celebrated 25 years on the air 15 of which have been at the helm of his current Emmy nominated HBO show Real Time with Bill Maher one of the great shows on American television he'll be in Hawaii with two stand-up shows December 30th and 31st and continuing his residency at the Mirage in Las Vegas come February Real Time with Bill Maher returns to HBO On January 2 how can you take two months off how could I not after this year and the year before with this president and the stress I'm surprised I made it to the end of the year you've done 25 I've done 60 one that he's got a way to help that's unbelievable that's like he started when I was born how old are you I'm 62 oh you couldn't have been an early fan no no he's just ended in your last show and here's what you said you'd ask the audience to stop talking about politics my friends and family and you just shut the [ __ ] up my able to hear you say that it's discourse completely dead well I was talking about with the people who you disagree with politically what I was saying is that trying to convince people I've heard for the last few years that we've been like in this partisan hell you got to talk to the other side and when people say that what they really mean is you got to try to convince them and I'm saying that doesn't work you never convince people politically I've had over the years hundreds and hundreds of people who have said to me you know I've listened to you on TV I saw your movie Religulous and you're right boy the light bulb went off and I just threw that religion nonsense out the window I've never had anybody say you know I was a conservative and I watch your show and now I'm a liberal plenty of conservatives watch my show they say oh it's funny I appreciate that you have on other conservatives sometimes I sound like a conservative uncertainty like political correctness but they don't switch and I don't think anybody switches so what I'm saying is we have to go back to what we were doing when I was a kid I remember the adults never talked politics it was considered impolite religion and politics it's right my parents were liberal Democrats they had a vague idea of what the politics of their friends and neighbors even family members were they didn't argue about it how did we as a country get so I've been around longer than you I used to be able to name every senator really oh I could we all know the Senators and they were kind of while they could be opposed political right they'd go to dinner together of course what happened well first of all both parties used to have liberal and conservative wingless oh sure that's a big difference it big the democrats became synonymous with the liberal party pretty much with some exceptions and the Republicans have exiled even moderate conservatives you think we'll ever bridges again I don't know I I'm not a cockeyed optimist as you may know so I feel like and I am a history major I feel like when when societies get to the place we are it usually has to end before it is reborn you know rome didn't come back it had to die and then was reborn as the Holy Roman Empire which as historians know is neither Holy Roman nor an empire so III don't know if we can come back when we get to this place where we're at where people literally see the other side as the enemy when you have Trump people wearing a t-shirt that says I'd rather be with the Russians and with the Democrats you have crossed this line they don't even realize that that's treason if you like Vladimir Putin better than Nancy Pelosi you don't even realize it you've crossed that line to treasonous behavior whatever Putin is not an American Nancy Pelosi is and you're right they used to talk to each other they had differences got bitter remember Franklin D Roosevelt said I welcome their hatred okay hatreds a strong word they had that certainly the founding fathers right after Washington who are pretty better with each other but I don't think we ever got to this place where they were a lying with other countries over America that's that's a bridge too far how have you seen in your time media change it's gotten worse mostly I'm talking about Havel news is gotten worse well what the big change was that it used to be a lost leader in other words it didn't have to make a profit and that was all the difference in the world now that they have to report to the boardroom now that they have to make a profit to they only care about eyeballs and I always say why don't you just put on porn then you'd get more eyeballs that's all you care about the nightly news is a disgrace and disgrace it has a few minutes of actual news just headlines and then it's weather which is not what they're supposed to do it's not the Weather Channel but it acts like one first of all it's not interesting to people in the parts of the country where the weather isn't affecting them and it's always the same story it snowed and then it melts okay and when there's a disaster of course that's news I mean a disaster like fires but it's not news to just talk to people and get them to cry that's disaster porn and then and then a lot of the news is just here's some fearsome videotape we have that's cool and funny what is this YouTube it's like look at this little critter it this squirrel hitched a ride on the wing of the airplane it's like that's not news so the people who are watching that and thinking well I'm informed I'm the person no you're not so they're doing a double disservice they're they're pretending they're news and they're not even news we're with Bill Maher somewhere in California we'll be right back years ago when I started my national radio show out of Washington dumar was a frequent guest and guest on my radio show when we were in LA frequent guest on CNN with me on my closing night on CNN yeah and now with us on the 1000 so really long I'm the most consistent part of your life you've been along for the ride alright did you see this coming Trump did you I know I'm forty years you know him well I did you see it coming I have to I didn't see it coming but in our anniversary special we included a clip from 1999 where I'm saying something like anybody can be President but please God not Donald Trump so he was remember he was talking about it back then he didn't make my show right governor's right a president I will have to take credit for this when everyone said he's kidding he's just doing this to promote a book or his brand or whatever I said no this guy is really going to run he really thinks he should be President and then when everybody said oh you know he's gonna run but he's not gonna get real votes no I always said he was gonna do well and I thought he was gonna win at a certain point because you know first of all he's such a lucky guy everything broke his way you know everything had to break he pulled an inside straight basically you know he had to be running against a candidate who was not a good candidate he had to win those three states by a combined total of 77 thousand votes he of course got a lot of help from Vladimir Putin Facebook everything broke his way it was lucky but when I saw his closing ad and you know he spent a lot less than Hillary she did the old-school way carpet bombing the airwaves with the same commercial which gets people even if they'd like you to start hating you because they see your commercial a million times like I've been in towns just for a day or two and I saw the commercial so much for some local guy I started to hate him so he just saved his powder didn't spend a lot of money because he's cheap and it and he put on that half-hour commercial it was all [ __ ] because when he came to office of course he didn't really do anything for the little man and he didn't go up against Wall Street but he made a case that made it sound like he was that voice of the Forgotten person in America and I thought oh this [ __ ] gonna win a lot of people thought he would come to the middle did you uh that's a good question I don't know if I examined that I I do know that I talked a lot about the fact that he was doing well because the country had been choking on political correctness for so long that someone who never apologized never back down doubled down on everything was a breath of fresh air even if what he was saying was abhorrent it was kind of nice to at least see somebody not grovel you know I and this has been my theme for 25 years obviously the first show was called politically incorrect and I was rather prophetic about that I must say also because I think it's only gotten worse and it prevents us from having real discussions and it makes the liberal side of the equation look weak this is the most important thing Democrats have to understand the people in this country no longer follow politics they don't understand the issues half of them thought Obamacare was different than the Affordable Care Act they don't know the details what they know is weak and strong Trump looks strong we look weak and we do look weak and we very often are weak and that's political correctness they just the people out there they just know I I don't know exactly about global warming and buh-buh-buh but I do know is I don't want to be represented by the people who talk about microaggressions and save spaces I think it said no one ever went broke under estimating the intelligence right well that's one art of it too bill I got to bring this up and you gotten a little controversy over this and Stan Lee died you were you weren't criticizing him you were criticizing the Marvel the comic-book concept right of course why did people get mad at you first of all I just found out this I'm so not that people got mad yeah I'm so glad that I don't follow social media like that every stupid thing they had told me today about lose their [ __ ] about yes but talk about making my point for me yeah you're right I mean I don't know very much about Stanley and it certainly wasn't a swipe at Stanley it was alike to me as a nice guy yeah of course fine I'm agnostic on Stanley yeah I I don't read comic books I even read them when I was a child what I was saying is a culture that thinks that comic books and comic book movies are profound meditations on the human condition is it dumb [ __ ] culture and for people to like get mad at that just proves my point now what do you make of the White House Correspondents Dinner they have now announced that a historian will be the speaker not a comedian really the historian is the gentleman who wrote the book Hamilton very good write it but now instead of having comedy at these Correspondents Dinner they do not want to I guess that last lady offended the president everybody has I did it in 1996 yeah yeah and they were offended it's a room that cannot help but be offended they're a bunch of politicians Washington's a terrible place to play not not when you do a regular theater where people come but when you do a room full of politicians of course all its and media and media but they have to of course put on the act that they're offended if there's the least little thing that you say and I remember when I did it I was tripped I tripped over a joke and kind of under my breath sat on a [ __ ] and the next year at People magazine said Bill Maher who last year delivered a obscenity laced monologue said one bad word yeah that's probably right you know I always said get a juggler get somebody who and cannot possibly offend you there's lots of that you always get to me after the break a game of the minou with the one and only bill Mahr stay with us on the 1000th episode of Larry King now way back with Bill Maher we're gonna play a little game of a few only new but first what do you make of this Saudi Arabia thing and Trump says he backs the prince well that's what I mean he never never backs down even when he's totally wrong yeah well you know I think we could have seen this coming Jim Acosta what do you make it up Jim Acosta well of course the media loves any story that's about the media I think everybody has to calm down a little both ways for them to accuse him of manhandling the woman who came to take the mic but then again the Democrats accused Corey Lewandowski remember of like somehow physically assaulting a woman who walked up to Trump during the campaign remember that again he just grabbed her arm she was headed for the candidate he don't do that everybody's just countries is nesting mess okay I'm thinking I don't think we're smart enough to survive to answer that other question I really don't play a little game if you only knew what's your proudest accomplishment staying on 25 years damn right because it's not easy to stay on very few people have done it for that long obviously I'm with somebody look up to you about longevity but and especially when you piss off both the left and the right you'll your career is unbelievable but that's what you know that's what the people who watch like best piece of advice you ever had take your wallet on stage with you not leave it in the dressing room worst piece of advice you ever got where's piece of advice probably to not buy tech stocks in the 90s in the early 90s when I first your father worked for Mutual news mutual Broadcasting I worked for yeah absolutely we had the products in the house interview that surprised you the most like a person I've talked to although you might have had a pre opinion changed well it's probably like people who I didn't think I was gonna like and then I couldn't help but like you know we'd say I mean I'm friends with a lot of conservatives I'm friends with Ann Coulter I just had scaramouche Eon and I sort of very I liked him welcome to me star move each person you'd least like to be stranded on a desert island with Hitler person from Hitler would be terrible on a desert Isle is this living or dead okay person from yesteryear you wish you could sit down with I'd like to sit down with George Washington I think that's yesteryear enough isn't it let him think about what's going on uh yeah just also the person in American history who I admired the most I think people get lost in the mythology and they forget that in every way there wouldn't be this country without him you know not just winning the war and the way he did it tactically as a general you know he knew he was out guns massively he only fought nine battles and only won three it was just about keeping the army yes don't he just kept it moving and then - of course refused the crown stepped down after two terms set that precedent that's what worries me the most about Trump I keep saying it to everybody who will listen he's not going to go even when he loses if he loses in 2020 I don't know he's not gonna leave the building I don't think so cuz he's gonna look he was complaining I said this to Gary Kasparov the other night and he said you're right because in 2016 he was complaining about it being rigged anyone and all during the campaign he was like it's rigged the whole thing is rigged it's and he set this up look at the way they were talking about Florida we don't trust the election process anymore he is not someone who can take loss he's just going to say it's rigged it's unfair I'm really still the president I really still won and then I don't know what happens strangest fan encounter well this is a great story this disparate this is a great lesson in that sometimes we have this idea let's go only get the good people let's get rid of the bad people who we don't like that's a terrible idea everybody includes in them good and bad example of this is your most devoted fans you would think they must be the best people in the world they're my fans so I did a show when I was back in Vegas in the about 12 or 15 years ago and we tried to do an 11 o'clock show we thought hip people didn't want to go to an 11 o'clock show they were going to discos at that hour so we moved the show back to 9 will the hotel alerted just about everybody but I guess some people didn't get the email so I'm walking through I think this is at the Hard Rock I was working someplace like that Planet Hollywood I forget but I'm walking through the lobby after the show's over it's like 5 of 11 the show was at 9:00 and I come across this guy with his family and he says hey I'm here for the 11 o'clock show they told me I said I know it's I'm so sorry they switched the time of the show it's over he said but we flew in from Idaho to see you I said I'm so sorry what can I do they you know any stuff going on and I finally just said how much was the show and I pulled out my own wallet and paid him back 450 dollars or whatever it was and without missing a beat the guy goes what about the airfare no thank you for something I don't think many people would do I'd have their own wallet what about the airfare and this is one of my biggest fans I flew in from Idaho so person that has a great person I had the most profound effect on your life probably my parents I was very fortunate in that department you know my father was guy who always did the right thing instinctively I don't always want it to the right thing instinctively I'm more crafty than he is he was I think of the wrong thing to do and then I think of him and then I do the right thing in our final moments of our 1000th episode of Larry King now Bill Maher will answer your social media questions I know he loves that stay honest fact that our final moments with Bill Maher always loves spending time with them at ona guru on Twitter do you think Jeff Sessions would now turn against Trump no I I have a theory it's based on nothing but what I observe and I'm just pulling this out of my ass so don't hold me to it but I swear to God Trump might have some sort of team that gets stuff on people their affairs whatever they're trying to hide they're really gay I don't know because so many people switch so suddenly and suddenly they're on his side Lindsey Graham and said that senator from Louisiana Kennedy Kennedy John Kennedy I think is named John Kennedy these guys they're they're so tough on Trump and then on a dime they're doing his bidding even Jeff Flake voted for everything you want well that's different Jeff Flake still talks against them but some of these people they act like somebody got to them and said you know what either start talking nice about mr. Trump or we're gonna find about they're gonna find out about you and the duck or whatever this person that's been doing what his kink is it is weird so I don't know what he has on Jeff Sessions but the time is passed and Jane vegg so on the Larry King now blocked is there an underrated politician out there someone who could sneak in and make a lot of waves in 2020 well I think our new governor Gavin Newsom I love a guy there's a hell of a guy and a hell of a candidate and you know I keep saying the Democrats they have to nominate someone who is going to communicate to the public we're going to get back to normal that should be their slogan and their theme let's get back to normal people are just exhausted by this press and exhausted by everyday having to look at your phone and be like oh god what did the mental patient do now they just want to break from it and so whether the person is a man a woman black white Mexican Asian whatever just follow that formula act normal look normal don't do crazy [ __ ] and I think we can win Jane also asked what would a John Kasich independent run for the presidency in 2020 do to trump it that I've been calling for that that's fantastic if whether it's John Kasich or Mitt Romney I keep saying people but that would elect a Democratic you know I'm the Republican Party before Trump took it over and turned it around because there's lots of things the traditional Republicans do not like about Trump suddenly he's the it's the party that loves Russia suddenly it's the party that doesn't care about debt you know what happened to you know Bill Clinton in the 90s we were all talking about the dignity of the office what happened to that so there is a place for Republican classic and if somebody would do that he would draw I think away enough votes to ensure that the Democrat would win that would be a great patriotic service for John Kasich to do at Byrd 777 on Twitter do you think the Democrats need to change the way they fight for what they believe in sort of like a vanadis way of doing things well even though avenatti yeah I don't know if he's the best example now I mean we need something but I like Michael a lot but we need someone who is seasoned we need someone who's done this before we just tried this with Donald Trump we need we don't need to repeat the Trump experience with a liberal version of Donald Trump we need somebody who can excite yes excite voters absolutely and and and of course stand for what you believe in it's it's not that hard traditional democratic values and principles they're not that hard to defend it's just that yes the party became a bunch of [ __ ] [ __ ] about that young man in Texas that lost Ted oh yeah that oh yeah he's good but you know like when Hillary was in West Virginia when she was campaigning and she said something unfortunate like we're gonna put the coal business and the coal miners out of work and then quickly said and then we're going to not forget about you we're going to get better jobs for you we're gonna come into this state and you're gonna be having high-tech jobs we can okay of course on Fox News it just they just took that soundbite we're gonna put the coal miners out of work but instead of apologizing for it which he did she should have said yes I'm not apologizing for that who wants to go down into a black hole that makes you sick you're a politician you can't sell the idea of I'm gonna get you out of that hole Trump sold the idea if I'm gonna keep you in that hole how about that your daddy got black lung disease and I'm gonna make sure you do too and they voted for that that's how bad the Democrats are gonna invited on Fox News have I been invited not for many years I mean I did Bill O'Reilly show I used to do that I did Sean Hannity show at least one or what he's become yes I saw in the news last week Trump hates him he's he imitates him well and says that he's he basically despises him because he's such an ass kisser I can see that Trump is that kind of guy who hates hates weakness even when it's in the service of an exacta night how does Hannity react to them I'm sure he will flagellate himself as usual and say you are right boss I haven't asked kisser and an [ __ ] and Broxton spring on Twitter any chance you could get Obama on your show well it took me eight years to get him the first time which I have mixed feelings about I am grateful he did it I also think it's ridiculous and says a lot about this question about the Democrats that it took eight years that I'm such a scary guy who was massively supportive of this president but I'm such a scary guy because I guess I'm an atheist and I'm a pot smoker and ice being my mind that Democrat it's easier for me to get friggin conservatives on the show half the time than it is to get Democrats Hillary never did it Bill Clinton never did it it took eight years a petition and begging to get Obama on the show it should not have taken that much Europe you're a credit to America thank you you become in your 25 years you know that's American treasure I appreciate that Larry thanks from one to another that means a lot happy birthday to a true American tears on my birthday and it's my one thousand forecast as well I thank my guest Bill Maher Real Time with Bill Maher returns January 18th on HBO look for a stand up residency at the Mirage in Vegas beginning February 15th and he'll be in Hawaii New Year's Eve and the prehnite continues December 30th an hour then you've been getting me on Twitter at Kings things and I'll see I'll come on I had a great time we'll see you next time [Music] you

Channel: Larry King

Views: 1,172,001

Keywords: Larry King, entertainment, news, trending, celebrity, bill maher, real time with bill maher 482, stan lee, stephen miller meet the press, maher, dennis miller is back with bill o'reilly, bill, dennis miller stand up, politics, the dennis miller show, make america great again, donald trump, stefan, clinton, the, hillary clinton, president trump, martina markota, content creation, election, dennis miller live (tv program), troi torain, dennis miller (tv writer), social justice

Id: ZCtiGIrT86Y

Length: 28min 57sec (1737 seconds)

Published: Wed Nov 20 2019

Reddit Comments

[u/Yamatoman9]

Great interview but it must be from a year ago

[u/fattycakesfaker]

I thought Larry king was dead.

[u/mugah2]

Fairly old but great to watch nonetheless. Thanks.

[u/kasper619]

This was great