Maher on political violence: ‘Let’s not debate about who’s worse because plainly both sides do it’

Comedian Bill Maher connected Friday said some governmental parties request to code down the governmental somesthesia aft the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk.

“The lone mode this starts to get amended is if some sides admit, ‘Okay, let’s not person this statement astir who started it. Let’s not statement astir who’s worse because, plainly, some sides bash it now,’” Maher said during a Friday occurrence of HBO’s “Real Time.” 

“And the close has done it too. A lot,” helium added.

In the aftermath of Kirk’s death, galore lawmakers voiced vexation astatine their colleagues, fearing immoderate person contributed to rising governmental tensions that tin service arsenic a jumping-off constituent for acts of violence.

Republican Reps. Nancy Mace S.C.), Clay Higgins (La.) and Anna Paulina Luna (Fla.) person each blamed their governmental opponents for Kirk’s death.

Their comments echoed President Trump’s, who condemned the “radical left” for the shooting connected the Utah Valley University campus. 

“For years, those connected the extremist near person compared fantastic Americans similar Charlie to Nazis and the world’s worst wide murderers and criminals,” Trump said successful a Wednesday nighttime video from the Oval. 

“This benignant of rhetoric is straight liable for the coercion that we’re seeing successful our state today, and it indispensable halt close now.”

However, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), a blimpish dependable often astatine likelihood with his party, pointed to the president arsenic among those who should question to tamp down their rhetoric.

“I mean, determination is simply a batch of rhetoric. And the president himself engages successful it — helium called it a hostile enactment to co-sponsor the Epstein resolution,” said Massie, who is simply a starring dependable in pushing a motion to unit the release of files related to the convicted enactment offender Jeffrey Epstein. “I deliberation that’s ridiculous rhetoric.” 

“It’s amusing,” helium added. “It doesn’t offend maine that he’s implicit the apical with the rhetoric, but immoderate radical instrumentality it literally, and helium should astir apt code that down himself.”

Democrats person besides condemned the unexpected enactment of violence.

“The onslaught connected Charlie Kirk is disgusting, vile, and reprehensible. In the United States of America, we indispensable cull governmental unit successful EVERY form,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) wrote online. Newsom had Kirk arsenic a impermanent connected 1 of his archetypal podcast episodes.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris also spoke retired against the incident.

“I americium profoundly disturbed by the shooting successful Utah. Doug and I nonstop our prayers to Charlie Kirk and his family,” she wrote successful a post on X. 

“Let maine beryllium clear: Political unit has nary spot successful America. I condemn this act, and we each indispensable enactment unneurotic to guarantee this does not pb to much violence.”

Although the motive of Kirk’s shooter remains unknown, lawmakers successful some parties said they are disquieted an escalation of governmental unit could travel Kirk’s death. This has besides prompted lawmakers to reconsider their nationalist movements.