James Carville, a Democratic strategist, has expressed his concern over HBO host Bill Maher's recent meeting with President Donald Trump, suggesting that Maher was beguiled by the President's charm.
Carville, who previously advised former President Bill Clinton, voiced his criticism alongside co-host Al Hunt during a segment of their "Politics War Room" podcast. This episode, which aired on Saturday, was subsequently highlighted by Mediaite.
Carville expressed his apprehension over Maher's interaction with Trump, stating, "I think the problem that people have with Bill I have the same one is youre kind of leading legitimacy and credence to this." He further accused Maher of normalizing Trump, whom he described as someone who "s----" on the U.S. Constitution.
According to Fox News, Maher, a vocal and long-standing critic of Trump, had dinner with the President at the White House earlier this month. During a recap of the meeting on his HBO show, Maher expressed surprise at Trump's "gracious and measured" demeanor behind closed doors.
"I never felt I had to walk on eggshells around him," Maher shared with his "Real Time" audience. He further added, "And honestly, I voted for Clinton and Obama, but I would never feel comfortable talking to them the way I was able to talk with Donald Trump. That's just how it went down. Make of it what you will. Me? I feel it's emblematic of why the Democrats are so unpopular these days."
Maher later addressed the criticism he received from the left for his meeting with Trump during a podcast appearance. He defended his decision, stating, "I had the opportunity to go to the White House and talk to the president and not give up my principles. It seems like nobody noticed that," Maher said. "I didn't go MAGA. I had the opportunity to talk to Donald Trump and say things to him that maybe he never hears, literally to speak truth to power. I shouldn't take that opportunity?"
However, Hunt and Carville remained skeptical of Maher's interaction with Trump. Hunt suggested that Maher had been "had," or deceived by Trump's charm. He said, "I think Bill Maher was had. He went there and he talked about how charming and nice Trump was. This was the same guy that day who was reveling in a guy who was illegally deported to El Salvador and refuses to bring him back, who loves to hurt people, loves to inflict pain."
Carville, while acknowledging Maher as a "friend," also expressed his belief that Maher had been duped. He described Maher as a "supremely naive man," who had met with "somebody who s---- on the Constitution." Carville further criticized Trump, stating, "Thats exactly what he does has been caught lying 36,411 times or whatever that number is someone whos convicted of 34 felonies in a court of competent jurisdiction, a person who set up every grift that you can imagine."
Hunt concurred with Carville's assessment of Maher's naivet, adding, "When you lie down with dogs, you get fleas."
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