On Real Time and later on his podcast, Bill Maher ripped into those on the left who downplayed or even cheered Kirk’s death, calling it a shameful sign of how far the country has fallen.
Maher recalled sitting down with Kirk in the past and noted that while they disagreed on almost everything, Kirk was at least willing to have the conversation. That made his murder all the more tragic.
Warning: Language
Maher focused squarely on the left, pointing to professors and activists who openly celebrated Kirk’s death. He called it moral failure, arguing that too many on his side of the aisle have become so blinded by politics that they cannot see murder for what it is.
He also warned that the U.S. is edging toward something like a civil war, not very civil. Political violence, he said, does not appear out of nowhere. It grows from years of demonizing the other side until people no longer see their opponents as human.
Speaking with Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins, Maher asked whether America is already too far gone. His point was simple: if we cannot agree that killing a political opponent is wrong, the line has already been crossed.
Then Maher let loose. “If you’re on the other side of the political divide, and you don’t care because the wrong team guy got shot, f*** you. You’re what’s wrong with this country.”
It was a blunt shot at progressives who shrugged off Kirk’s killing, proof in Maher’s view that political tribalism has rotted basic decency.
Warning: Language
Maher’s takedown was not about defending conservative politics. It was about decency. By torching the left for celebrating Kirk’s death, he put his own side on notice. However, the fact that it took Maher to say it shows just how dire the moment has become.