Bill Maher Accused of Racism Over On-Air Joke to Black Republican Congressman
Comedian Bill Maher is under fire for what some consider to be a racist comment directed at Texas Republican Congressman Will Hurd.
On Friday’s edition of “Real Time,” Hurd was addressing issues that spanned from border security to the Trump administration when Maher made a comment about Popeyes Chicken, in conjunction with Hurd’s work in the Central Intelligence Agency.
With that, Hurd explained, “I was in the CIA for almost a decade. I was the dude in the back alleys at four o’clock in the morning collecting intelligence on threats to the homeland.”
“That’s where you’d collect it, huh? Wow,” shot back Maher. “By the Popeyes Chicken?”
Video: Here’s Bill Maher lobbing a clearly racist joke to GOP Congressman Will Hurd, asking him if he gathered undercover intel for the CIA out “by the Popeye’s Chicken.” pic.twitter.com/gxwNZQKyAL
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) February 2, 2019
Maher, who is not known for censoring himself or dodging heavy issues, came at Hurd earlier in the conversation, asking the congressman why he was a Republican and whether it was because his parents were Republicans.
“I’m a Republican because I believe in limited government,” Hurd responded.
“But they don’t do that,” Maher interrupted.
“I’m a Republican because I believe in the rule of law. I’m a Republican because I believe in economic opportunity,” Hurd continued.
“They don’t do that either,” Maher interrupted again.
“I’m just asking why you’re a Republican?” he pressed. “Because they’re not good at the debt, that was their big thing. You said limited government, they don’t do that. They took over the Congress in 2011 and they raised the debt a trillion dollars a year. They’re not good at national defense—the president’s a traitor.”
Maher’s comments brought a firestorm from many who considered his comments toward the Republican Congressman to be in bad taste.
“Bill Maher insults black CIA vet by suggesting he picked up tips “behind the Popeye’s Chicken” same day as Ralph Northam admits he submitted racist af blackface Klan photo to yearbook – it’s almost like this is all a game to them,” tweeted The Federalist’s Ben Domenech.
Bill Maher insults black CIA vet by suggesting he picked up tips "behind the Popeye's Chicken" same day as Ralph Northam admits he submitted racist af blackface Klan photo to yearbook – it's almost like this is all a game to them.
— Ben Domenech (@bdomenech) February 2, 2019
The New York Times’ Sopan Deb even chimed in, expressing his shock at Maher’s comment.
https://twitter.com/SopanDeb/status/1091577243049082880
The potentially offensive nature of Maher’s comments was pointed out by the Daily Beast, who reminded its readers of a few short years ago when Maher was in the hot seat for another racist comment.
During a 2017 interview with Republican Senator Ben Sasse, Maher used a highly offensive slur that enraged many, including many who are part of the Black Lives Matter campaign.
The comedian’s latest joke is in stark juxtaposition to his heartfelt apologies in 2017.
“I did a bad thing,” Maher said to guest Michael Eric Dyson. “For black folks, that word, I don’t care who you are, has caused pain. It doesn’t matter that it was not said in malice, it caused pain and that’s why I apologized. I’m not that big of an a–hole.”
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